Van Otterloo gift of at least $10m endows Peabody Essex Museum executive director post

E-mail | Print | Comments () 01/26/2012 2:56 PM

Walter Silver

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By Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff

Money continues to flow into the Peabody Essex Museum. This time, it’s coming from collectors Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, who are giving at least $10 million – they won’t say exactly how much – to endow the executive director post at the museum. The gift comes only days after the Institute of Contemporary Art announced that the directorship of its museum would be endowed. It’s the latest act of generosity from the van Otterloos, whose stunning collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish art was featured at the PEM last year. In a statement, Rose-Marie praised current PEM executive director Dan L. Monroe. She didn’t hint at where the couple’s art collection might eventually end up, at the PEM, the Museum of Fine Arts – which they’ve also supported – or neither of the above.