Hiddur Mitzvah swirl

Our Organization

Gary Rosenthal

A self-taught artist who has been sculpting in welded metal and glass for over 30 years, Gary Rosenthal is recognized nationally as a leader in the American craft movement. In the early 1990s, Gary began to explore community service, and he has been inspiring others to become involved in service through art ever since.

Gary believes that art can be used as a catalyst for community building. This philosophy stems from a long history of service and educational contributions, but is rooted in what he knows best: ART.

The Gary Rosenthal Collection

Together with a team of talented craftspeople, Gary Rosenthal creates one of the most popular and unique lines of sculpture in the country. Work from the Collection has been presented to American presidents from Jimmy Carter to Bill Clinton to George W. Bush, and to celebrities including Bette Midler, John Travolta, and Tony Randall. The Collection is found throughout the world in many fine galleries, private collections, and the following museum shops: Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery; Corning Museum of Glass, American Craft Museum, B'nai B'rith Museum, The Jewish Museum, Skirball Museum of Culture, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Art as a Catalyst™

Art as a Catalyst™ practices a distinctive brand of social entrepreneurship designed, funded, and implemented by The Gary Rosenthal Collection. Our art drives the program, and through the sale of our unique line of gifts and awards, Art as a Catalyst™ generates funds for arts enrichment and education programs. This special collection includes two kinds of products:

A portion of the proceeds from all products goes to The Gary Rosenthal Collection Foundation to fund our special programming.

The Gary Rosenthal Collection Foundation

The Gary Rosenthal Collection Foundation is funded through sales of items created by the Art as a Catalyst™ program, and supports arts enrichment activities for the children of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The Foundation also provides grants to nonprofits for arts programming, in which children create a product or performance for presentation to local seniors.

The purpose of our grants is not only to create arts enrichment activities for children, but also to foster art-based community building intergenerational contacts between children and seniors. Close to $100,000 in grants and in-kind giving has been awarded to nonprofits as varied as the Theatre Lab, the Higher Achievement Program, and the Montgomery County Housing Opportunity Commission, who performed, in turn, a magic show, a dance, and a community mosaic program.

The Gary Rosenthal Collection Foundation is a designated fund operating within the National Capital Area Community Foundation. It was started in winter of 2002 as the 501(c)3 designated fund for The Gary Rosenthal Collection's Art as a Catalyst™ program.

The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund

The Hiddur Mitzvah Project from The Gary Rosenthal Collection is pleased to be funded in part by The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund! The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund was created to offer grants for projects that encourage both arts enrichment and community development. Portions of the proceeds from every Hiddur Mitzvah Project go into the fund, continuing its availability and ensuring that part of every purchase is used for good will.

Part of the Shefa Fund’s Tzedakah Fund, The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund is a designated fund that helps to subsidize the cost of Hiddur Mitzvah Projects and products. This is why your community can get items from Gary Rosenthal at far less than retail cost. In addition, The Hiddur Mitzvah Fund is proud to invest in special community projects throughout the world! Programs funded in part by the Hiddur Mitzvah Fund include: