Media Contacts
Lynette Nyman, Minneapolis Institute of Art, (612) 870-3173; lnyman@artsmia.org
Tammy Pleshek, Minneapolis Institute of Art, (612) 870-3171; tpleshek@artsmia.org
Anne-Marie Wagener, Minneapolis Institute of Art, (612) 870-3280; awagener@artsmia.org

Minneapolis Institute of Art Raises $103.2 Million for Expansion, Renovation, and Art Endowment

Successful campaign is one of largest private fundraising efforts
in Twin Cities

Minneapolis, January 17, 2007—At a pivotal moment in the history of the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), and thanks to the generosity of 2,170 individuals, corporations, and foundations, the museum has surpassed its $100 million capital campaign goal by raising a total of $103.2 million. The successful completion of the campaign enables the MIA to strengthen its position as a critical cultural resource in Minnesota and as one of the most important encyclopedic art museums in the nation. The MIA’s new Target Wing, designed by American Institute of Architects Gold Medal-winning designer Michael Graves & Associates, significantly enhances the museum’s ability to present modern and contemporary paintings and sculpture, prints and drawings, photography, and design. Completed in June 2006, the new wing and renovation of existing buildings added thirty-four new galleries and nearly forty percent more exhibition space, allowing each curatorial department to display more art. The MIA’s art acquisition endowment greatly increases as a result of this successful campaign.

“The Bring Art to Life campaign is the largest in the MIA’s history,” said Alfred Harrison, chair of the Board of Trustees of the MIA. “This campaign was unique among museums nation-wide as it raised funds for both building and art purchase endowment. Originally envisaged by former director, Evan Maurer, the campaign has been successfully completed under new director, Bill Griswold.”

The lead gift to the Bring Art to Life campaign was a contribution from Target Corporation in excess of $10 million. Eight community leaders each made gifts of $2 million or more. Lead foundation support included a $2 million challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation, a Michigan-based private foundation that funds capital campaigns nationally and internationally. Additional corporate and foundation support included gifts of $1 million or more from the James Ford Bell Foundation, the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, the General Mills Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, the Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation, the Star Tribune Foundation, and the U.S. Bancorp Foundation.

“The commitment and hard work of our trustees has brought amazing results exceeding our goals and ensuring our capacity to build and display one of the finest encyclopedic art collections in the country,” said William Griswold, Director and President of the MIA. “The completion of the campaign positions us for a spectacular future, making us a resource locally as well as nationally for all to enjoy.”

Thirty-five gifts of $1 million or more were given to the Bring Art to Life campaign. Seventy-eight permanent art endowments were created and forty-one galleries and museum spaces named. Giving from museum trustees totaled more than $47.5 million. Seventy-seven percent of the campaign contributions came from individuals. The campaign was conceived and completed with no government funding.

The Bring Art to Life campaign was led by Ford Bell, Beverly Grossman, and Bob Ulrich—all former board chairs of the MIA. Campaign committee chairs included Siri Marshall, Sam McCullough, and Burt Cohen.

“We are grateful for the dedicated support of our community and the individuals who have given so generously over the years to our campaign,” said Beverly Grossman, MIA trustee and campaign co-chair. “The generosity and commitment of the MIA volunteers and members who brought this campaign to a successful completion are outstanding.”

Founded in 1883 as the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, the MIA opened its doors to the public in 1915. A neoclassical landmark in the Twin Cities, the original building was designed by the preeminent New York architectural firm McKim, Mead & White. The MIA expanded in 1974 with an addition designed by the late Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. In June 2006, the MIA completed a $50 million renovation and expansion project, which included the construction of a $37 million, 113,000-square-foot addition designed by Michael Graves and Associates.

“Already, only eight months after the grand opening of the new wing, we can clearly see the value of this project and the campaign that funded it,” said Bob Ulrich, MIA trustee and campaign co-chair. “The new building designed by Michael Graves is the perfect complement to the MIA and its expanded commitment to collecting and presenting modern and contemporary art.”

The new wing’s three floors feature 27 new galleries, including ten galleries for twentieth-century and contemporary paintings, a new Oceanic gallery, and galleries devoted to textiles, modern design, and contemporary works on paper. The new wing also features a classroom and expanded research areas, including an art library and study centers for the departments of Prints and Drawings and Photographs. A state-of-the-art facility houses art conservation and restoration activities. The existing building was thoroughly remodeled, allowing space for seven new galleries and seven renovated galleries devoted to the MIA’s remarkable holdings of Chinese art, and expanded galleries for the arts of Africa, Japan, Europe, and America.

The Bring Art to Life campaign also included $50 million to augment the MIA’s art purchase endowment, which supports the growth of the permanent collection. The campaign greatly enhances the MIA’s purchasing power in a highly competitive international art market. The art endowment also creates dedicated and named endowments for each department.

“It’s remarkable that we’ve achieved the vision set out in the strategic plan that the trustees developed more than fifteen years ago,” said Ford Bell, MIA trustee and campaign co-chair. “And at the same time, the MIA has offered, and will continue to offer, free admission, making our world-class collections available to everyone.”

About the Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), home to one of the finest encyclopedic art collections in the country, houses nearly 100,000 works of art representing more than 5,000 years of world history. Highlights of the permanent collection include European masterworks by Rembrandt, Poussin, and van Gogh; modern and contemporary painting and sculpture by Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian, Stella, and Close; as well as internationally significant collections of prints and drawings, decorative arts, Modernist design, photographs, and Asian, African, and Native American art. General admission is always free. Some special exhibitions have a nominal admission fee. Museum hours: Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Closed Monday. For more information, call (612) 870-3131 or visit www.artsmia.org.

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