News & Scoreboards
Philanthropists at the Gates
Tatiana Serafin
07/01/2004

On the morning of February 12, 2005, The Gates, a massive unfolding of 7,500 vinyl and fabric archways by the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, will billow over 23 miles of footpaths in New York’s Central Park. For 16 days, park visitors will share green space with the latest of the husband-and-wife team’s 19 large-scale outdoor projects. This will mark the first time, however, that the artists have routed a significant revenue stream from their work to philanthropy.

THE GATES image is already appearing in earnest on tote bags, scarves,  coffee mugs and posters. All proceeds will go to Nurture New York’s Nature.
The Gates image is already appearing in earnest on tote bags, scarves, coffee mugs and posters on sale at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with all proceeds going to Nurture New York’s Nature (NNYN), a membership foundation of public and private organizations that supports environmental and arts programs. NNYN is the brainchild of Theodore Kheel, a philanthropist, lawyer and close friend of Christo and Jeanne-Claude who single-handedly persuaded the artists to bow both to commerce and to philanthropy.

For years, Christo and Jeanne-Claude have insisted that no licensing, sponsorship or other deals taint their work. “Our aim is only to create works of art and joy and beauty,” says Jeanne-Claude. “We do it for us, not for the public; if other people enjoy them, that’s a bonus.” They will not benefit financially from the sale of licensed wares or participate in NNYN’s work.


Christo and Jeanne-Claude amassed their wealth, more than $200 million, from the sale of Christo’s prints, drawings and original lithographs. They use their own funds to finance their projects: The Gates will cost them $20 million out-of-pocket to erect, including a $3 million donation to the Central Park Conservancy. For the past 40 years, they have lived and worked in an utterly unpretentious walk-up apartment one block north of Canal Street in New York’s bustling Chinatown.

While the artists admit they are enthusiastic about NNYN, Kheel has been the inspiration behind the organization since 1991. At 90, he is spry and nimble, dressed one recent day in a polka-dot shirt and striped suit, answering a phone that seems to never stop ringing. Since 1949 he has been an attorney with Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, where he still maintains an office. He has also served as New York City’s labor mediator and owns significant property development interests from Pennsylvania to the Dominican Republic, including a 30-square-mile jungle patch that has been developed into a resort with 400 hotel rooms, luxury homes, a golf course and an airport. This is not his first art-philanthropy connection. He once convinced Robert Rauschenberg to donate limited-edition prints to support Earth Pledge. “I’ve had the good fortune to represent two great artists,” says Kheel. “It’s the dream of every nonprofit.”