The Indiana University Eskenazi Museum of Art family is saddened to share the news of the death of Anthony J. “Tony” Moravec of Columbus, Indiana, on November 8, 2022. Tony was one of the most dedicated and generous donors in the museum’s history. He developed a close working relationship and, ultimately, a lasting friendship with the museum’s director emerita, Dr. Heidi Gealt. Together they created one of the most important collections of eighteenth-century Venetian drawings, featuring the work of Giambattista and Domenico Tiepolo, in any American university art museum. Tony gifted the collection to Indiana University in 2010.
Tony was chair of the museum’s National Advisory Board from 2007 to 2015, and he truly led by example. He co-funded the museum’s academic liaison position, the Andrew W. Mellon and Anthony J. Moravec University Experiences Manager, and he created an endowment in support of the museum’s art conservation department. He was an early supporter of the museum’s capital campaign as part of its recent renovation. In recognition of this gift, the museum named its new prints, drawings, and photographs gallery in honor of Tony.
Friends and colleagues will attest to Tony’s generosity. We have lost a true friend. Dr. Gealt aptly writes, “Tony was truly a kind, warmhearted, funny, generous, and loyal friend to many of us. His death leaves an empty space in our lives. Barry and I extend heartfelt condolences to those who knew and loved him, especially his family, which truly was the center of his amazing life.”
For more information about Tony's philanthropy, please see this article from The (Columbus) Republic.
