MANCHESTER, NH.- The Currier Museum of Art announced that it has received a significant gift from the estate of Manchester businesswoman May Gruber. Included in the bequest are works of art by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, as well as works by more contemporary artists such as Jennifer Bartlett, David Hockney, Michael Mazur, Jim Hodges and Elizabeth Murray. “May Gruber felt strongly about giving back to the community that helped her company to grow,” said Susan Strickler, Currier Director and CEO. “Her tastes were eclectic and wide-ranging, as is evidenced by the works she gave to the Currier. Because of her bequest, the region has an even more exceptional collection of art to cherish.”

The Currier has placed on view many of the works that Gruber bequeathed to the Museum in the European, Modern and Contemporary art galleries. Gruber came to know several of the artists, including Jennifer Bartlett and Jim Hodges. She often contacted artists when she purchased their work because she wanted to learn about their lives and artistic motivation.

May Gruber was a powerful force within the Greater Manchester community and the state of New Hampshire. The former head of Pandora Industries, a Manchester institution that created iconic sweaters and other knitwear in this city from 1940 until 1983, Gruber helped found Child Health Services and the Manchester Community Music School, organizations which are now integral to the region.

Gruber and her first husband, Saul Sidore, began collecting art in the 1960s based on advice from Charles Buckley, then director of the Currier (1955-1964). Collecting became a passion during her second marriage to Sam Gruber, a painter in his own right.