Gulbenkian Foundation and Associated Museums and Institutes

   In 1956, a year after the death of the Armenian philanthropist and art collector Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, a foundation was established in Portugal, Gulbenkian's adopted country of retirement. The work of this foundation has had both an internal impact on Portugal's arts, sciences, health, and education and an international impact in the advancement of Portuguese studies in the world. The modern building housing the foundation's offices and library on the Avenida de Berna, Lisbon, was completed in the late 1960s, and Gulbenkian's art collection was moved from Paris and other cities to a museum adjacent to the foundation offices. In the early 1980s, a museum of contemporary arts was completed nearby. The income from the Gulbenkian endowment of the foundation supports not only philanthropic social projects, but a wide variety of the arts, including organizations that offer performance seasons such as Ballet Gulbenkian and orchestras. In addition to the headquarters, museum, and contemporary arts museum in Lisbon, the foundation supports institutions in other districts of Portugal and has a program of scholarly grants for Portuguese, as well as international scholars and students in various disciplines. The foundation, in terms of annual giving, is one of the largest such institutions in Western Europe.

   See also Dance.