Biography
The Ruth & Sherman Lee Institute was founded in 1995 by Willard G. Clark and his wife, Elizabeth. Long attracted to the art and culture of Japan, the Clarks began acquiring Japanese art seriously from the 1970s, and their collection, though supplemented with later gifts, still comprises the core of the museum's holdings. The Clarks named the Institute in honor of their longtime friend and acquisitions advisor, Dr. Sherman Lee, former Curator of Asian Art at The Cleveland Museum of Art. Initially establishing the Institute as a scholarly project, the Clarks decided to open the museum to the general public in 1998, and have held quarterly exhibitions since then.
From the guide to the Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art collection, 700-[ongoing], (University of California, Merced. Library)
