State Senator Jane Earll Awards $500,000 to Erie Art Museum Capital Campaign
Erie Art Museum Exceeds Half-Way Mark in $9 million Capital Campaign
Erie, PA, November 29, 2006 --(PR.com)-- State Senator Jane Earll joined the Erie Art Museum Board of Directors, staff and Erie Art Museum capital campaign major gift donors Tuesday night in announcing an additional $500,000 in state funding for the Erie Art Museum’s $9 million capital campaign.
“This is a wonderful project, and I am glad to be in a position to help further it along. Kudos to John Vanco, his staff, and the Board of Directors of the Erie Art Museum for their vision and commitment to not only the arts community, but the Erie community as a whole. This project is one of several that stands to transform downtown Erie in the very near future, while at the same time impacting all of Erie County and beyond. I look forward to its completion, and am happy to assist in its success,” said Senator Jane Earll.
“Senator Earll’s support has taken us beyond our half-way mark. We have commitments for $4.7 million. We are right on track. In August, we received a real shot in the arm when Governor Ed Rendell came to town and awarded us $1.5 million. Senator Earll’s commitment to the project has tipped the scales toward the finish line. We are grateful,” said Erie Art Museum Director John Vanco.
The planned $9 million capital project consists of a link between the Museum’s Old Customs House Building on State Street and the Museum Annex, which fronts on both State and East 5th Streets. Included will be four major galleries, a number of smaller galleries, a 250-person performance space, a public meeting space at a new unified entrance, and other visitor amenities.
“The Erie Art Museum is the largest and most significant visual arts program in the Northwestern PA region. It is the resource for the visual arts. The Art Museum’s programs have far outstripped its physical space. Senator Earll’s commitment takes us closer to our vision of a regional arts center,” said Kirk Steehler, MD, capital campaign chairman and Erie Art Museum Board Member.
According to Steehler, $6 million in local funds are being sought, as well as $3 million in capital grants from the State. To date, the Museum has secured $2.7 million in local funds including more than $1 million from the Museum’s Board of Directors and $2 million in capital grants from the State.
“The Erie Art Museum has been working on this project for the past two and a half years. Although this campaign is being led by current and long-term Museum supporters, everyone in the community will be asked to support creating a new tourist destination and preserving a vital community resource,” said Mary Beth McMaster, Erie Art Museum Board President.
Over the past two decades, the Museum has grown its budget 9 percent per year, reaching $775,00 in 2005, and the staff has expanded from three to 11 full-time equivalents. In that time, the number of individuals visiting the Museum has exceeded 30,000 annually.
The Erie Art Museum anchors downtown Erie’s cultural and economic revitalization, occupying a group of restored mid-19th century commercial buildings, including an outstanding 1839 Greek Revival bank. It maintains an ambitious program of 15 to 18 changing exhibitions annually, embracing a wide range of subjects, both historical and contemporary and including folk art, contemporary craft, multi-disciplinary installations, community-based work, and public art as well as traditional media.
The Erie Art Museum also holds a collection of over 5,500 objects, which includes significant works in American ceramics, Tibetan paintings, Indian bronzes, contemporary baskets, and a variety of other categories.
The Museum offers a wide range of education programs and artists’ services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours and a wide variety of classes for the community. Performing arts are showcased in the 24-year-old Contemporary Music Series, which presents national and international performers of serious music with an emphasis on composer/performers, and a popular annual two-day Blues & Jazz Festival.
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“This is a wonderful project, and I am glad to be in a position to help further it along. Kudos to John Vanco, his staff, and the Board of Directors of the Erie Art Museum for their vision and commitment to not only the arts community, but the Erie community as a whole. This project is one of several that stands to transform downtown Erie in the very near future, while at the same time impacting all of Erie County and beyond. I look forward to its completion, and am happy to assist in its success,” said Senator Jane Earll.
“Senator Earll’s support has taken us beyond our half-way mark. We have commitments for $4.7 million. We are right on track. In August, we received a real shot in the arm when Governor Ed Rendell came to town and awarded us $1.5 million. Senator Earll’s commitment to the project has tipped the scales toward the finish line. We are grateful,” said Erie Art Museum Director John Vanco.
The planned $9 million capital project consists of a link between the Museum’s Old Customs House Building on State Street and the Museum Annex, which fronts on both State and East 5th Streets. Included will be four major galleries, a number of smaller galleries, a 250-person performance space, a public meeting space at a new unified entrance, and other visitor amenities.
“The Erie Art Museum is the largest and most significant visual arts program in the Northwestern PA region. It is the resource for the visual arts. The Art Museum’s programs have far outstripped its physical space. Senator Earll’s commitment takes us closer to our vision of a regional arts center,” said Kirk Steehler, MD, capital campaign chairman and Erie Art Museum Board Member.
According to Steehler, $6 million in local funds are being sought, as well as $3 million in capital grants from the State. To date, the Museum has secured $2.7 million in local funds including more than $1 million from the Museum’s Board of Directors and $2 million in capital grants from the State.
“The Erie Art Museum has been working on this project for the past two and a half years. Although this campaign is being led by current and long-term Museum supporters, everyone in the community will be asked to support creating a new tourist destination and preserving a vital community resource,” said Mary Beth McMaster, Erie Art Museum Board President.
Over the past two decades, the Museum has grown its budget 9 percent per year, reaching $775,00 in 2005, and the staff has expanded from three to 11 full-time equivalents. In that time, the number of individuals visiting the Museum has exceeded 30,000 annually.
The Erie Art Museum anchors downtown Erie’s cultural and economic revitalization, occupying a group of restored mid-19th century commercial buildings, including an outstanding 1839 Greek Revival bank. It maintains an ambitious program of 15 to 18 changing exhibitions annually, embracing a wide range of subjects, both historical and contemporary and including folk art, contemporary craft, multi-disciplinary installations, community-based work, and public art as well as traditional media.
The Erie Art Museum also holds a collection of over 5,500 objects, which includes significant works in American ceramics, Tibetan paintings, Indian bronzes, contemporary baskets, and a variety of other categories.
The Museum offers a wide range of education programs and artists’ services including interdisciplinary and interactive school tours and a wide variety of classes for the community. Performing arts are showcased in the 24-year-old Contemporary Music Series, which presents national and international performers of serious music with an emphasis on composer/performers, and a popular annual two-day Blues & Jazz Festival.
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Contact
Erie Art Museum
Daniel Stasiewski
814-459-5477
www.erieartmusuem.org
Daniel Stasiewski
814-459-5477
www.erieartmusuem.org
Contact
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