Julia Louis-Dreyfus is known for her on-camera comedic prowess, originating no less than three Emmy-winning sitcom roles (Seinfeld‘s Elaine, the titular Christine in The New Adventures of Old Christine, and vice president Selina Meyer in current HBO hit Veep), but she’s gone behind the scenes to narrate a documentary, Generosity of Eye, about her father’s decision to donate his art collection to the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ).
William Louis-Dreyfus, now 81, began his unusual art collection in the early 1960s. Although he wasn’t drawn to the big names—there are no Warhols, Freuds, or Picassos—his holdings are thought to be worth at least $10 million, if not as much as five or six times that, reports the Wall Street Journal. Among his 3,500 works are pieces by Leonardo Cremonini, George Boorujy, Helen Frankenthaler, and self-taught African-American artist and former slave Bill Traylor.
The elder Louis-Dreyfus saw Geoffrey Canada, the founder of HCZ, on television, talking about the New York-based nonprofit, and was inspired by the organization’s mission to help inner city youth get a head start in their education in order to escape the cycle of poverty. He will donate most of his collection to HCZ over the next few decades.
The Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection is housed in Mount Kisco in Westchester County, New York, and can be visited by appointment only. Generosity of Eye, directed by Brad Hall, debuted at Lincoln Center on May 27 and can be watched for free online.