RICHMOND, VA.- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts pays tribute to two major benefactors in the exhibition "An Enduring Legacy: Paintings Acquired Through the J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art." Among artists whose work will be featured on a rotating basis are Thomas Hart Benton, William Merritt Chase, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Robert Henri, Henry Ossawa Tanner, John Trumbull and James McNeill Whistler.

VMFA Director Dr. Michael Brand says the American art collection "would not enjoy such a prominent position at VMFA without all that the Cochranes have done, both as benefactors and community leaders.

"Harwood and Louise Cochrane have built a strong and extraordinary foundation for our American collection, and, as the museum's collection and related programs continue to grow, the Cochrane name will forever be associated with American art at VMFA," Brand says.

In 1988, the Cochranes, who live in Hanover County near Richmond, established an endowment for VMFA, enabling the institution to acquire significant examples of American art. Today, nearly two decades and nearly 20 acquisitions later, the Cochrane Fund has "helped to transform the museum's American holdings into a nationally recognized collection," Brand says.

Earlier this year the Virginia General Assembly passed a joint resolution commending the Cochranes "for their extraordinary generosity toward a wide range of worthy religious, educational and arts organizations."

Harwood and Louise Cochrane have each served 10-year terms as VMFA trustees. The couple also gave the museum 44 acres of downtown Richmond property on the South bank of the James River, and have bequeathed their house and farm in Hanover County to the museum. In 1998, VMFA named the couple Patrons of the Arts.

Admission to the exhibition is free. The showing will be on long-term view as VMFA undergoes a $108-million expansion that will add more than 100,000 square feet to the museum's existing 240,000-square-foot complex.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, an educational institution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is Metropolitan Richmond's most popular cultural attraction. The museum is on the Boulevard at Grove Avenue. The galleries are open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to keep the museum free to all by making a donation ($5 suggested). For additional information about exhibitions and programs, telephone (804) 340-1400 or visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Web site, .