The National Gallery of Art announced it has received a $116 million donation from billionaire collector Mitchell P. Rales to support a new initiative that will provide long-term art loans to smaller museums throughout the United States.

The substantial gift will enable the National Gallery to establish a program offering loans to smaller institutions in perpetuity, expanding access to significant artworks beyond the museum's Washington, D.C. location. The initiative represents one of the largest philanthropic commitments aimed at democratizing access to major art collections.

Rales, who has built a notable art collection over decades, structured the donation to specifically support the museum's outreach efforts to institutions that may lack the resources to acquire or display works of similar caliber. The program will allow participating museums to display National Gallery pieces for extended periods.

The National Gallery has not yet announced specific details about which museums will participate in the program or the selection criteria for recipient institutions. The initiative is expected to launch in the coming months, with the museum working to identify partner institutions across different regions of the country.

This donation adds to Rales' history of major cultural philanthropy. The collector has previously supported various arts institutions and has been involved in founding the Glenstone Museum in Maryland, which houses his extensive contemporary art collection.