ART inspires … engages … and sometimes surprises us. It teaches lessons about color and form and line.
It facilitates our understanding of history and science. It expands our capacity for writing, reading, learning.
Center for Creativity (Museum Annex) • $2.9 million
Children, teens and adults—residents and visitors of all ages will benefit from the creation of teaching studios in the annex to the west of the present Museum. On school days, the studios will buzz with the creative energy of hundreds of children from Fargo, Moorhead, and the surrounding school districts.
Classes in the evenings and on weekends will extend the lifelong enjoyment of art to regional adults and visitors to the area. The annex will be connected to the Museum-proper by a skyway.
James Rosenquist Mural • $1.2 million
Internationally acclaimed artist and native North Dakotan James Rosenquist created an expansive mural (13 x 24’) that was installed permanently on the two-and-a-half-story wall of the Ruth and Seymour Landfield Atrium. Rosenquist’s formative years were spent in North Dakota and Minnesota.
Rosenquist’s paintings stand out for their bright, representational imagery, as well as their sheer monumental scale—inspirations from the visual impact of the expansive plains landscape of his youth.
This specially commissioned piece will celebrate the plains region. It is a source of inspiration and community pride, and the cornerstone of the Museum’s art collection.
To see any of Rosenquist´s signature large scale work, you must travel to places like Tallahassee, Fla., or New York. Now, Rosenquist´s painting in his home state of North Dakota will become an attraction for visitors and residents alike.
Endowment • $2 million
Endowment earnings will ensure perennial support for ongoing exhibitions, art collections, art education programs, and general operations. An anonymous donor’s challenge gift of $1,000,000 has seeded the fund—the campaign is seeking $1 million to match this generous gift.
The typical art museum derives one-fourth to one-third of its annual income from endowment. Because a requirement of an endowment is that you cannot touch the principal—only the interest earned is available for the Museum’s use—endowment funds ensure the vitality of Museum programs for future generations.
Visitor Services • $110,000
The Museum is an inviting place to gather: to enjoy beautiful art and music, to enjoy a snack or meal with friends, to hold wedding receptions and other celebrations. Improvements to the reception areas have created a more welcoming environment and will bolster the Museum’s ability to earn revenue through special events.
The new Gate City Bank Presentation Center off the atrium accommodates community groups and also serves as an orientation area and meeting room for the Museum.
