EASTON, MD – As the Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD celebrates 60 years of service to the community with its anniversary year, the Museum is excited to announce the public phase of its $5+ million capital campaign which will open new doors to the arts and build a legacy for the Museum. The campaign will allow the Museum to build on its achievements by expanding the reach of its educational programs and the excellence of its exhibitions and collections. The campaign’s five initiatives will enhance the Museum’s existing programs and facilities for the benefit of its audiences and the community.
The arts education initiative focuses on meeting the growing demand for the Museum’s educational programs by expanding its offerings. Today, the Museum is the leading provider of arts education in the Mid-Shore region.
The museum courtyard entrance initiative focuses on relocating the Museum’s main entrance through a freshly-landscaped pathway from Harrison Street to the current Courtyard. This change will help align the Museum with the cultural corridor of Harrison Street and present a welcoming environment for over 50,000 annual visitors. Ziger/Snead is the project’s architect. The firm’s clients have included the Baltimore Museum of Art, The Maryland Institute College of Art and the Maryland Historical Society.
The art stewardship initiative will enable the Museum to build on its excellent exhibition history and continue to pursue shows featuring leading artists from art history and significant emerging artists, while improving the quality and diversity of its collection and enhancing its care.
The campaign’s building stewardship initiative addresses the Museum’s most urgent program and facility needs. As a museum that combines historic structures with modern additions, significant capital funds are required to maintain the Museum’s infrastructure.
Finally, the campaign’s museum endowment initiative addresses growing the Museum’s endowment to protect its future.
According to Ben Simons, director of the Academy Art Museum, “We are very excited about the courtyard project. We are working with the Maryland Historical Trust to respect the historical fabric of the building as we put a welcoming face on the organization. We are in the planning and permitting process now for the courtyard entrance and are looking forward to construction beginning in 2019.” He adds, “We are deeply tied into the community with over 75 collaborations with community partners, non-profits and neighbors. We want our physical campus to express our relationship with the broader community.”
In addition to the physical changes to the Museum, several new programmatic initiatives are currently underway reflecting the capital campaign’s goals. These include the implementation of the Museum’s first artist-in-residence program and the hiring of the first full-time curatorial assistant.
Jocelyn Eysymontt, Co-Chair of the Museum’s Capital Campaign Committee, comments, “We are thrilled with the response to the campaign and being so close to our campaign goal. We are excited to invite the public to build on the generosity of our donors to help us in our final stage of fundraising.”
The Museum supports its annual operating budget of $1.5 million through membership fees annual giving, tuitions, grants, fundraising events, and to a modest extent the income generated from the current Endowment Fund. Board of Trustees Chair Cathy McCoy adds: “Our prior trustees had the wisdom to start the Endowment Fund and support it, putting us in a strong position on which to build. A larger endowment will better protect the Museum’s future.”
For further information about the Museum’s Capital Campaign, contact Damika Baker, Director of Development at the Museum at 410-822-2787.
~ Academy Art Museum