Museum Issues Community Challenge Grant

Milwaukee Art Museum issues Challenge Grant
“Improve your gift by 50%” sponsored by Milwaukee Art Museum donors Jane and George Kaiser

Milwaukee, Wis – The Milwaukee Art Museum today announced a $500,000, 1-for-2 matching challenge grant as part of its Plan for the Future campaign, which will restore and reinstall the Museum’s Collection Galleries. The grant, called “Improve Your Gift by 50%” is sponsored by Jane and George Kaiser, longtime Milwaukee Art Museum supporters.

“The Museum is 85 percent to goal for our Plan for the Future fundraising efforts,” said Mary Albrecht, director of development for the Milwaukee Art Museum. “We are hopeful that with the Kaisers’ challenge the community will respond and we will meet our goal.”

The Kaisers are regular contributors to the Museum, as well as numerous other local non profits. Married in 1973 and living in Cold War Russia, the Kaisers returned to Milwaukee with a collection of Russian art and began long careers in public and non-profit service. In 2001, the Museum Store was named in their honor. Since then they have concentrated their collecting efforts on Studio Glass, some of which will end up in the new 20th and 21st Century Design Galleries.

“We are delighted to be able to help the Museum to ensure that they meet their goal to renovate and expand one of our treasured institutions in the community,” said Jane Kaiser.

Museum Director Dan Keegan feels the Kaisers’ challenge grant is timely given that construction must start soon to make the necessary repairs.

“Since coming to Milwaukee to direct the Museum, I’ve seen firsthand the generosity of the community and support for their Milwaukee Art Museum. I am deeply grateful to Jane and George for their significant commitment to the Museum, and I encourage everyone to ‘Improve your Gift by 50%’ by giving to this worthwhile cause. It is an investment in the Museum, and in the future of Milwaukee as well,” said Keegan.

“Improve your Gift by 50%” will run through December 31, 2014. Donors can log onto mam.org/campaign for more information or to give.

ABOUT THE PLAN FOR THE FUTURE CAMPAIGN
Beginning in fall 2014, the Museum began an ambitious project to renovate its two oldest buildings, the Eero Saarinen–designed War Memorial Center (1957) and the David Kahler–designed addition (1975), which house the Museum’s Collection Galleries. Increased gallery space, including an entire floor dedicated to photography and new media, an improved gallery layout, and a new lakeside entrance are among the improvements planned. The collections will be off view through fall 2015; however, the Museum is open throughout construction, with a vibrant schedule of exciting exhibitions, educational offerings, and special programs in the Quadracci Pavilion. For more information, visit mam.org.

ABOUT MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
Prominently situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee Art Museum campus welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually. The Museum was founded over 125 years ago and is the largest and most significant art museum in Wisconsin. It houses a rich collection of over 30,000 works, with strengths in 19th- and 20th-century American and European art, contemporary art, and American decorative arts. It is the world’s leading repository for work by untrained creators and has one of the largest collections of works by Georgia O’Keeffe. The Museum’s celebrated Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion, completed in 2001, showcases both Museum-produced and traveling feature exhibitions.

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