A combination of gifts, endowments and funding for education programmes has taken the newest addition to the Los Angeles museum scene past its sizeable launch target.
Bob Iger, chair of the Campaign for the Academy Museum fundraising team, hailed a “great day for the Academy Museum” before adding, “the way ahead is clear, as we move at full speed toward an unforgettable grand opening in April 2021”.
It is easy to see why Iger, who worked alongside co-chairs Tom Hanks and Annette Bening in leading the fundraising charge, is optimistic. Individual donations to the project reached levels that could sustain some independent museums for a generation, with the largest – worth $50 million – coming from Cheryl and Haim Saban.
Friends with deep pockets
Donors, all of whom will have areas of the new museum complex named after them, include:
Cheryl and Haim Saban (Saban Building)
The David Geffen Foundation (David Geffen Theater)
Rolex (Rolex Gallery)
Dalian Wanda Group (the Wanda Gallery)
Dolby Laboratories/Family of Ray Dolby (Dolby Family Terrace)
The Walt Disney Company (Walt Disney Company Piazza)
Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg (Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery)
Steven Spielberg (Spielberg Family Gallery)
East West Bank (East West Bank Gallery)
Gale Anne Hurd (Hurd Gallery)
Bob Iger and Willow Bay (Bob Iger and Willow Bay Terrace)
Netflix (Netflix Terrace),
Barbra Streisand (Barbra Streisand Bridge)
Steve Tisch (Steve Tisch Terrace)
Warner Bros. Entertainment (Warner Bros. Gallery)
Wasserman Foundation (Wasserman Bridge)
“Closing this fundraising campaign is an important and exciting milestone for the Academy Museum,” notes the institution’s inaugural director and president, Bill Kramer. “We are deeply grateful to our campaign leadership and to our Trustees, donors, and partners who have made important commitments to the campaign.”
Not content to rest on its laurels, the Academy Museum’s fundraising team will be back on the cases of wealthy donors after opening in April, with new goals to be set for endowment, programming, operating and capital funds investment.
