How Ava DuVernay’s ’13’ Inspired Philanthropist Agnes Gund’s

Philanthropist and art-world denizen Agnes Gund stated she was impressed by Ava DuVernay’s award-winning documentary about mass incarceration, “13,” and took a moderately dramatic motion consequently: Three years in the past, Gund offered the 1962 Roy Lichtenstein portray “Masterpiece” and donated $100 million of the proceeds to begin a fund to assist legal justice reform.

“She saw that film and was so moved by it, and she said, ‘I am not doing enough,’” stated her daughter Catherine Gund, whose documentary function about her mom, “Aggie,” premiered on the Sundance Film Festival on Friday. “And she literally went home and chose this painting and said, ‘I am going to turn this painting into money for criminal justice reform.’”

In an interview at TheWrap’s Sundance Studio, Agnes Gund defined that she had had the portray for 40 years and had been buddies with each Roy Lichtenstein and his spouse for many years.

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She additionally defined that she felt a private connection to legal justice points since they deeply have an effect on the African American group. “I have six grandchildren that are black,” Agnes Gund added, “and I should do something about that given the little I could give to it.”

The elder Gund additionally defined why she determined to commit her household’s substantial wealth to philanthropic endeavors like arts training and social-justice causes. “Largely the reason is because I felt guilty,” she stated. “I felt like I shouldn’t have this when so many other people have this and they have all kinds of injustice that’s done to them.”

Watch extra from the interview above.