Harrison Eiteljorg (October 1, 1903, in
Indianapolis – April 29, 1997, in Indianapolis) was an American philanthropist, businessman, and
patron of the arts
Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...
. The
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is an art museum in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The Eiteljorg houses an extensive collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as Western Ame ...
was named after him for his donation of
visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas
Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas encompasses the visual artistic practices of the indigenous peoples of the Americas from ancient times to the present. These include works from South America and North America, which includes ...
and
Western American paintings and sculptures.
Until his death in 1997, Eiteljorg served as chairman of the museum's board.
Eiteljorg was for several years a successful businessman in the mining industry.
He served as board chair for the
Indianapolis Museum of Art
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park: 100 Acres, the Gardens at Newfields, the Beer Garden, and more. It ...
and also donated 1,200 pieces of African art and artifacts to their collection in 1989.
There is also a collection of African art donated by Eiteljorg at
Butler University
Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...
in Indianapolis.
He married Edith Morgan Eiteljorg.
References
External links
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1903 births
American patrons of the arts
1997 deaths
People from Indianapolis
20th-century American philanthropists
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