NEW YORK, NY.- The Centre Pompidou Foundation announced that Chairman Steven Guttman has been named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by France. The insignia, which represents the French government’s highest honor, will be presented to Mr. Guttman by Gerard Araud, the Ambassador of France to the United States, at a private award ceremony on June 27, 2016 at the Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C.

Established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, The Legion of Honor is a prestigious accolade bestowed to either French nationals or foreigners who have served the country and upheld its ideals. With this honor, Mr. Guttman is recognized for his contributions to France through his work with the Centre Pompidou Foundation. With this decoration, Mr. Guttman joins the ranks of past American honorees including Steven Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Alan Greenspan and Richard Serra.

Commenting on the award, Ambassador Araud stated, “Thanks to Steven Guttman’s great leadership, the Centre Pompidou Foundation has been able to acquire exceptional American works of art and foster rich and lively international exchange in and around the Centre Pompidou. We continue to benefit from Mr. Guttman’s relentless commitment to strengthening the bridge of ideas and talent between the U.S. and France. I applaud his efforts and congratulate him on an honor well deserved.”

Steven Guttman stated, “I am truly honored to receive this prestigious award. It is a great pleasure to be of service to France and to support one of the world’s leading cultural institutions through my work with the Centre Pompidou Foundation.”

A member of the Foundation since 2007 and Chairman since 2012, Steven Guttman has been instrumental in forwarding its mission of acquiring and encouraging gifts of American works of art for the Centre Pompidou. In addition to his work with the Foundation, Mr. Guttman is the Founder and Chairman of UOVO, a leading provider of fine art storage and collection management services.