The Centre Pompidou Foundation’s chairman Steven Guttman has been named Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. The insignia will be presented to Guttman by Gerard Araud, the ambassador of France to the United States, at a private award ceremony on June 27 at the Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, DC.

Commenting on the award, 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.”

As a member of the foundation since 2007 and its chairman since 2012, Guttman has spearheaded the institution’s mission to acquire and encourage gifts of American art for the Centre Pompidou. Guttman is also the founder and chairman of UOVO, a fine art storage and collection management service.