Chap. 184.-An ACT to define, and to provide for the management, control,
maintenance and operation of, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, for such
purpose to provide for a board of directors, to set forth the powers and
duties thereof; to define its relation to the Arts Commission and to provide
for the disposition of any revenues derived by and from the said museum.

[H B 183]
Approved March 27, 1934

Whereas, the General Assembly of Virginia by an act approved
February twenty-seventh, nineteen hundred and thirty-two, authorized
the Governor for and on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, to
accept from the Honorable John Barton Payne a gift of one hundred

thousand dollars to be used for the erection of a suitable building for
the exhibition of works of art and art treasures which the Common-
wealth now possesses and may hereafter acquire; and,

Whereas, the Governor has since the passage of the foregoing act
and in accordance with its terms, secured the necessary additional gifts
for the erection of the said building; and,

Whereas, the said building is now being erected in the city of Rich-
mond on a part of the property belonging to the Commonwealth of
Virginia and known as the soldiers’ home property, and it is necessary to
provide for the management and control thereof when completed; now,
therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

1. There is hereby set apart and dedicated to the occupancy and
use of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that portion of the Robert
Edward Lee Camp soldiers’ home grounds upon which the museum is
now being erected contained and embraced within the following described
lines :

“Beginning at the northwest intersection of Grove avenue and
Boulevard, in the city of Richmond, Virginia, and extending west along
the north line of Grove avenue a distance of two hundred and twenty-
five (225) feet to a point, thence leaving Grove avenue and extending
north into the soldiers’ home grounds a line parallel to the west line of
the Boulevard, a distance of three hundred and seventy-nine and sixty-
two hundredths (379.62) feet to a point, thence east and at right angles
with said last named line and on a line which, if made, would be an
extension of the south line of Hanover avenue, two hundred and
twenty-five (225) feet to a point on the west line of the Boulevard,
thence with the west line of the Boulevard three hundred and seventy-
nine and sixty-two hundredths (379.62) feet to the beginning.”

But such dedication, occupancy and use shall be subject to the rights of
Robert Edward Lee Camp number one, Confederate Veterans, granted
to it by act approved March twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and
twenty-six, Acts of Assembly, nineteen hundred and twenty-six, page
seven hundred and forty-seven, and upon the expiration of such rights,
the board hereinafter created, shall, subject to such acts as may be here-
after passed, exercise the complete control over the said property as
hereinafter provided.

2. The management and control of the land and building referred to
in the preceding section, which shall hereafter be known as the Vir-
ginia Museum of Fine Arts, together with the contents, furnishings
and grounds thereof, shall, upon completion of the said building, be
vested in a board of directors composed of John Barton Payne, John
Garland Pollard, Jessie Ball duPont, John Stewart Bryan, Pleasant L.
Reed, Webster S. Rhoads, Katherine Rhoads, Hildreth Dunn Scott,
Blythe Branch, Effie K. Branch, Alexander W. Weddell, Virginia Chase
Weddell, Eppa Hunton, fourth, E. Randolph Williams, Dr. Douglas
VanderHoof, Robert W. Daniel, Henry W. Anderson, Jay W. Johns.
W. H. Cocke, Corinne L. Melchers, A. D. Williams, Thelma Cudliff
Whitman and John M. Miller, Junior, and other persons, not to ex-
ceed ten, appointed by the Governor, upon the nomination of the board
of directors herein provided for ; and the mayor of the city of Richmond,
the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the Lieutenant-Governor and
the Governor of Virginia shall be ex-officio members of the said board.
Vacancies in the membership of the board shall be filled by the board,
subject to the approval of the Governor; in filling such vacancies and
upon all questions before the board the ex-officio members of the board
shall be entitled to vote as other members are entitled to vote.

The said board shall organize by adopting by-laws governing its
organization and procedure and by electing one of its members presi-
dent. The board may also provide for an executive committee, com-
posed of not less than three and not more than seven members of the
board, which committee may exercise powers vested in and perform
duties imposed upon the board by this act to the extent designated and
permitted by said board.

3. The said board of directors is hereby vested with full power and
authority to manage, control, maintain and operate the Virginia Museum
of Fine Arts, including the contents, furnishings and grounds thereof,
to establish membership classes under such regulations as to it may
seem proper, to charge for admission to the said museum if deemed
proper, to employ such persons as may be necessary to manage, con-
trol, maintain and operate the same, to suspend or remove at pleasure
any person so employed, to determine what paintings, statuary and
works of art may be kept, housed or exhibited in the said museum,
to acquire by purchase, gift, loan, or otherwise, paintings, statuary and
works of art and to exchange or sell the same if not inconsistent with
the terms of the purchase, gift, loan, or other acquisition thereof, to
accept gifts, to enter into agreements with organizations interested in
art, to stimulate and assist in the formation of new organizations, and
to do such other things as it may deem proper to promote throughout
the Commonwealth education in the realm of art, and also to receive
and administer gifts for the endowment of said museum.

4. The Art Commission shall have no power or authority to control,
manage or supervise in any way the said board in the exercise of the
powers and the performance of the duties provided for in this act ex-
cept that in the matter of additions, repairs and alterations of the
museum itself, the Art Commission shall continue to exercise the powers
now conferred by law, which powers are specifically reserved to the
said commission, but the said board shall not acquire for or permit to
be displayed in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts by gift, purchase or
otherwise any paintings, statue, or work of art which has been or may
hereafter be disapproved or rejected by the Art Commission for acquisi-
tion and exhibit elsewhere in the Commonwealth.

5. All money received by the board for current expenses in con-
ducting said museum shall be paid into the general fund of the treasury
of Virginia, where it shall be set aside as a special fund for the main-
tenance and operation of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, for which
purpose such money is hereby appropriated, to be paid by the 1reasurer
yn warrants of the Comptroller issued upon vouchers signed by the
president of the said board or his duly authorized agent.

6. The said board is directed to acknowledge the generous gifts to
the Commonwealth made by John Barton Payne, by the erection of a
bronze tablet in or on said museum building, or in some other manner
deemed appropriate by said board.