What Is An Art Gallery? Kinds Of Art Galleries Vs Museums petek, October 1, 2024 Neither Mellon nor Pope lived to see the museum accomplished; each died in late August 1937, only two months after excavation had begun. On his birthday, 24 March 1937, an Act of Congress accepted the gathering and building funds , and approved the construction of a museum on the National Mall. In 1929 Mellon had initiated contact with the recently appointed Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Charles Greeley Abbot. Mellon was appointed in 1931 as a Commissioner of the Institution’s National Gallery of Art. Opinion on the building had mellowed significantly by 1984, when Prince Charles referred to as the … Continue Reading