Sale of art from Hillman estate will finance grants

After four collectors finished bidding on a single painting during a recent auction, the local Henry L. Hillman Foundation, one of 18 Hillman Family Foundations, received $15 million.

The painting, titled “Blueberry,” sold for $16.6 million. It was created in 1969 by Joan Mitchell and purchased in 1970 from a Carnegie International exhibition by Henry and Elsie Hillman.

The $16.6 million price, recorded last week during a Christie’s sale in New York, set a record for a work by the late artist. A leading second-wave Abstract Expressionist, Ms. Mitchell was born in Chicago but lived much of her life in France. The previous auction record for a work by her was $11.9 million.

For the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, this is just the start of generating funds to support additional grantmaking by selling seven artworks from the late Henry Hillman’s estate, which is valued at roughly $900 million.

Two more artworks, one by Norman Rockwell and the other by self-taught Pittsburgh artist John Kane, will be sold Tuesday at a Christie’s sale in New York. The pre-sale estimate for “The Tender Years: Mowing the Lawn” by Mr. Rockwell is $600,000 to $800,000.

The pre-sale estimate for “Scots’ Day at Kennywood” by Mr. Kane is $150,000 to $250,000. The Kane painting reflects the ancestry of many of Pittsburgh’s early settlers, who either hailed from Scotland, like the artist, or were Scots-Irish. Kennywood, the region’s beloved amusement park, is a National Historic Landmark.

“We looked at the collections of regional museums before we made any determinations to sell anything at auction,” said David K. Roger, president of the HillmanFamily Foundations.

The Hillman Family Foundations was established in 2009. That year, 18 separate foundations, named for individual Hillman family members, were reorganized as one corporation. Based in Pittsburgh, the foundations support the philanthropy of four generations of Hillman family members.

“The Mitchell painting is by far the most valuable. That kind of contemporary abstract art is hot right now,” said Bruce Crocker, one of two executors of Mr. Hillman’s estate.

“We were surprised at the price reached for ‘Blueberry.’ Christie’s was surprised by the price. Their estimate was $5 million to $7 million,” Mr. Crocker said.

The $15 million going into the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Mr. Crocker said, will allow the charity to give out an additional $750,000 in grants each year. A foundation has to spend 5 percent of its income each year.

“That’s three-quarters of a million dollars a year focused on Pittsburgh.” Five percent of the $15.1 million would yield $750,000 in income for the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Mr. Crockersaid.

That money, Mr. Roger said, will allow the Henry L. Hillman Foundation to make more contributions to improving life in Western Pennsylvania. As an example, he cited the $300,000 grant to the Allegheny County Health Department for lead poisoning education and equipment to conduct home assessments.

“The proceeds from these funds could also be used for future art purchases for museums,” Mr. Roger said. “This is what Henry was hoping to do, which is to continue to provide support for Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.”

Morepieces are to be sold at Christie’s in Paris and Londonin June.

At Mr. Hillman’s direction, his four children and nine grandchildren had the chance to purchase any of the artwork in his estate. Under federal tax law, Mr. Hillman’s heirs would have had to pay full market value for any art they bought fromhis estate.