2021 Annual Report
Table of Contents Who We Are/Our Values (Museum)
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Message from the Museum Director
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Message from the Art School Director
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Who We Are/Our Values (Art School)
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Staff Highlights
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Exhibitions
9-12
Impressive Figures from 2021
13-14
Acquisitions
15-16
Our Response to Covid - Museum
17-18
Our Response to Covid - Art School
19-20
As Covid Continues
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The Future
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Museum Donors
23-25
Donors of Artwork/Donors to the Art School
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Danforth Art Alliance Leadership
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FSU Foundation Funds & Current Values
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Thank you from the Danforth
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Annual Report Design/Image Credits
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The Museum
Who We Are The Danforth Museum was founded with the intent to connect with and represent our surrounding community, highlighting the art and artists of the Greater Boston area, and serving as an accessible space to engage with both historical and contemporary art.
Our Values Danforth Art Museum’s mission is to collect, document, preserve, display, and interpret original works of art and the resources in its care in order to uphold and advance the academic goals and core values of Framingham State University and to enrich the community at large. The museum seeks to educate and inspire students, faculty, and the public through access, engaging exhibitions, and educational programming.
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A message from Museum Director and Curator
Jessica Roscio
“A small museum faces its own unique challenges, and I am continually inspired by this truly resilient institution. Much has changed at the Danforth throughout its 46 year-history, but the things that have remained consistent—the stewardship and growth of our collection, innovative exhibitions and programming, and a truly dedicated staff—remind me of the important place the Danforth holds in our community. I look back on all that we have accomplished in the past year, despite numerous obstacles, with considerable pride. We are your Danforth, and we are a gem of a museum!”
A message from Art School Director
Noelle Fournier
“The Danforth Art School community continues to be an incredible source of inspiration to me both professionally and personally. We have been fortunate to retain a number of extremely talented and dedicated instructors over the last several years who serve the mission of the Art School every day while also providing an excellent experience for our students of all ages. And of course, we are so fortunate to have the incredible resource of the Danforth Art Museum on site, where classes can often be found drawing in the galleries, or learning about a technique or artist.”
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The School
Who We Are The Danforth Art School offers exceptional studio art classes for all ages and experience levels as well as feature workshops inspired by museum exhibitions, professional development for teachers, vacation week, family workshops, and more.
Our Values The mission of the Danforth Art School is centered on hospitality, inspiration, and comprehensive fine studio art practice, serving as a valuable resource to the community. Our faculty provides exceptional art classes to students of all ages and experience levels, and our programs allow for exploration of the Museum exhibitions in addition to continuing study practice.
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Staff Highlights Rachel Passannante Collections Manager “This past year has seen a huge interest in Meta Fuller – from research and image requests, new ephemera donations, to working with her family and the new Fuller Middle School to dedicate a display case to her and her husband Dr. Solomon Fuller. I have so enjoyed learning and discovering more about her and her family, connecting with her grandchildren, hearing family stories, discovering pieces she made that we previously did not know about, getting glimpses of her personality, and seeing her determination and concurring struggles to succeed as an African-American artist.”
Laura Gayton Membership “Perhaps my favorite memory from the previous year was watching one of our members – also one of our most generous donors – win our online jigsaw puzzle week after week. Within an hour of receiving it, she would always email me the correct answer with perfect spelling of the artist’s name and work of art. Each enthusiastic response from her was like a ray of sunshine during a very dark period. It helped me realize how strong and wonderful our Danforth community really is. It’s impossible to explain how fulfilling it is to be part of this special place.” 7
Mary Erickson Visitor Services “When we reopened with pandemic precautions, it was a joy to welcome people back! They felt safe in our space and were clearly happy to be here. During this time, I personally took solace in Rebecca Hutchinson’s Midnight Blooms exhibition. It called me to sit and meditate, a soulful respite in a crazy time.”
Chandra Taylor Art School Manager
Barry Burlingham Gifts and Stewardship
“Remote learning had its challenges. However, we chose to look at opportunities presented rather than focus on setbacks. I particularly enjoyed implementing the monthly Faculty Spotlights to celebrate our instructors as well as concocting drink recipes to pair with artwork from the Museum’s Permanent Collection for our Virtual Drinks at the Danforth events. We shipped boxes of art supplies to participants for this event in order to curate a fun and creative experience for all.”
“Our success in meeting our 2021 goal was made possible through a generous $50,000 matching challenge initiated midyear which drew considerable support from donors new and established. Despite the interruptions of Covid, we continued to see support, benefiting from three new funds. A new Art Acquisitions Fund, and the two new endowed funds, The Joan E. Murtaugh ‘61 Art Conservation Fund and the Paul B. Rosenberg Fund for Museum Education. These funds were established in 2020, yielding their first distributions in 2021.” 8
Exhibitions September 2020–February 2021
Midnight Blooms Rebecca Hutchinson
Midnight Blooms is work for a time in which we are turning to nature for the solace it can provide while we remain filled with uncertainty for the future. Hutchinson describes her work as “speaking to the depth and complexity of living with the hopes of revealing the human condition in sculptural form,” and her installation balances human fragility with resiliency and strength. 9
Passage
Katherine Gulla Katherine Gulla’s work has long been about the natural world and how we move through it. Passage presents work from three series – Path, Falling, and Fossil – whose names imply the process, travail, and remnants of the journey the artist envisions through her work.
A Cabinet of Curiosities Catherine Smith
Catherine Smith is an installation artist, sculptor, and collector, viewing threedimensional art objects not only as sculptures, but as souvenirs, memorials, relics, and icons. She uses unique materials to shape context, with the expectation that the meaning embedded in the work will shift with each viewer’s experience.
March–September 2021
Suspended Landscapes Lori Schouela
Lori Schouela’s paintings have a mystical quality to them – through subject, materials, and process, they become otherworldly. In her paintings we step into a fantastical, yet mysterious landscape. Surfaces are lush with glossy pools of color, paths, and machines that hover in mid-air.
Wonderscape
featuring Adria Arch, Alyssa Minahan, Dana Filibert, Nancy Hayes, Neil Wilkins Using circles, organic forms, and undefined borders, five artists working across media create their own wonderscapes. They use the tactile nature of their materials to convey hazy, stream-of-consciousness, otherworldly dreamscapes based in reality but largely products of the mind. In focusing on elemental forms, each of these artists crafts their own narrative about time and space and the ways in which we visualize, cope, and move through our own “wonderscapes.” (Exhibition photos at right)
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700
Impressive Figu students welcomed into art school programs
14 Vimeo videos with 1,204 views
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musical collaboration with composer Patrick Greeley for the Suspended Landscapes exhibiton with 5 instrumental works in total.
established this year
Joan E. Murtaugh ‘61 Arts Conservation Fund & Paul B. Rosenberg Fund for Museum Education
3,716 Museum met and surpassed its FY21 fundraising goal of
objects, ephemera, and archives entered into new Past Perfect 5 Collections Database
$195,000
ures from 2021 Created offsite exhibition on the lives of Meta and Dr. Solomon Fuller for the new Fuller Middle School in Framingham, MA
142 30 Art School
people attended our first-ever virtual Closing Reception
Hosted a 3-part lecture series on
faculty members
Meta Vaux WarrickFuller
Art School Held 140 virtual programs and 20 in-person classes and workshops
171 museum memberships added
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New objects acquired this fiscal year 14
Stanley Boxer, Seethedayfret, 1975, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.51 Peter Plamondon, Untitled (Dishes), 1985, Oil on canvas board, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.52 Scott Prior, Railroad Underpass, 1984, Oil on canvas board, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.53 Barnet Rubenstein, Brown Corrugated Cartons, 1976-77, Acrylic and graphite on paper, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.54 Barnet Rubenstein, Family Chair with Two Panamas, 1984-85, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.55 James Aponovich, Four Peaches in an Italian Bowl, 1982, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.56 Joel Beck, Kiwis and Mangos, 1984, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.57 Linda Etcoff, Untitled (Grapes), 1984, Oil on masonite, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.58 Natalie Alper, Untitled, 1981, Acrylic and graphite on paper, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.59 Doug Anderson, No Sorrow, No Pity, 1983, Oil on two canvases, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.60 Aaron Fink, Smoker, 1980, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.61 John Gibson, First Box and Ball, 2000, Oil on linen, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.62 Chuck Holtzman, The Rest of the Rockets, 1982, Oil on wood, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.63
Roger Kizik, Henri Matisse A Retrospective, 2000, Acrylic on birch panel, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.64 Stephen Mishol, Untitled, n.d., Oil on burlap and canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.65 George Nick, Mystic River Bridge Ramp, 1975, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.67 Horacio Torrea, Back Against Blue Sky, 1972, Oil on canvas, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.68 Alexander Liberman, Solstice XII, n.d., Steel and paint, Gift of John S. Foster, 2021.69 David Aronson, Rabbis with Birds II, 1959, Charcoal on paper, Gift of Ben and Eileen Aronson, 2021.46 George Lockwood, Untitled, 1965, Ink on paper, Gift of Paula Z. Dimidis, 2021.41 George Lockwood, “Horae” from The Rose of Time, 1965, Ink on paper, Gift of Paula Z. Dimidis, 2020.40 Stephen Marc, Soul Searching, 1997, Photographic print, Gift of Robert Alter, 2020.61 Robert Alter, Paris Gris Portfolio, Photographic prints, Gift of the Artist, 2020.62.1-.6 Robert Alter, La Defense Portfolio, Photographic prints, Gift of the Artist, 2020.63.1-.9 Robert Alter, Trees Portfolio, Pigment inkjet prints, Gift of the Artist, 2020.64.1-.9 Clarissa Sligh, Untitled (from Re-Framing the Past Series), 1988, Photographic print, Gift of Robert Alter, 2020.65
Acquisitions
Unknown Artist, Photograph of Young Couple, 19th Century, Daguerreotype, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.30 John A. Keenan, Photograph of Woman in Lace Dress, 1852-1854, Daguerreotype, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.31 Unknown Artist, Photograph of Father and Child, 19th Century, Daguerreotype, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.32
Unknown Artist, Untitled (Egyptian Tour), Late 19th to early 20th Century, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.33 Unknown Artist, Untitled (Greenhouse with Grapes) c.1900, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.34 G.W.W., Untitled (Edinburgh Cityscape), c. 1900 Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.35 J.V., Lindisfarne Priory Holy Island, Berwick, 1896, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.36 Unknown Artist, Rievaulx Abbey, 1896, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.37 Unknown Artist, Granada, c. 1900, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.38 Unknown Artist, Untitled (Desert Landscape), c. 1875, Albumen Photograph, Gift of Robert Alter, 2021.39 George Ford, Faberge, 1985-2004, Mahogany and stain, Gift of Allegra Whalen, Daughter of the Artist, 2021.42
Katherine Gulla, Fossil 136, 2017, Archival Pigment Print, Gift of the Artist, 2021.44 Joyce McDaniel, Exclamation, 2005, Carved wood and plastic, Gift of Murray Dewart, 2021.47 Carolina Bagenal, Song Bird, 2015, Fabric, plastic, and metal, Gift of Murray Dewart, 2021.48 Nora Valdez, Drifting, 2017, Metal and wood, Gift of Murray Dewart, 2021.49.1-.3 Cynthia Maurice, Untitled, 2009, Charcoal on paper, Gift of Catherine Hillery, 2021.43 Liz Albert, Breakaway, 2017, Archival Inkjet Print, Gift of the Artist, 2020.60 J.B. Jones, Foiled Again, 2013, Oil on canvas, Gift of the Artist, 2020.14 Rebecca Hutchinson, Balanced Blooms, 2019-20, Handmade paper and Willow branches, Gift of the Artist, 2021.45 Jenny Carpenter, Rabbit Hole, 2019, Oil and graphite on Birch panel, Museum Purchase, 2020.56 Jasmine Chen, Expensive Orphanage, 2020, Oil and acrylic on canvas, Museum Purchase, 2021.50 Steven J. Duede, Home 9, 2017, Archival Pigment Print, Museum Purchase, 2020.67 Mia Cross, Another Girl Who Sat on the Couch Too Long, 2019, Oil on Canvas, Museum Purchase 2020.66
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the Museum’s
Reponse to Covid Mobile App
Using a CMS created by Culture Connect, we designed a mobile app now available on the App and Google Play Stores to give our community instant access to our wealth of artwork. The Danforth app also contains “virtual tours” and in-depth information about the history of the Danforth.
Jigsaw Puzzles
We created virtual jigsaw puzzles contests for our followers using the classics from the Danforth’s Permanent Collection of artwork.
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Videos
When quarantine hit, we used Vimeo to bring artwork to our community in an easily accessible video format so they could continue to enjoy our exhibitions from the safety of their own homes.
Virtual Artist Talks We collaborated with our exhibiting artists to bring the ideas and inspirations behind the exhibitions on the walls of the Museum to the Danforth community virtually. 18
the School’s
Reponse to Covid Virtual Summer Arts Program We quickly pivoted to remote classes for our adult, child and teen programs by integrating programs such as Zoom and Google Classroom to create an experience of collaboration and community for our students and faculty.
Interview with an Artist We introduced a new social media feature called Interview with an Artist, which highlighted student work and gave our budding artists an opportunity to tell us what inspires them to create. 19
Drinks at the Danforth We created and hosted this highly successful night of creativity, pairing pieces from the Museum’s collection with signature cocktail recipes and shipped art supplies to each participant.
Faculty Spotlight We piloted this initiative which rotated monthly and virtually showcased incredible selections of our talented instructors’ artwork as a feature on the Danforth website and social media pages. 20
As Covid Continues With the benefit of hindsight, we all may not have plunged so decisively into the “pivoting” that marked 2020, particularly if we had known that the pivot would still be in effect two years later. But, there is always a silver lining to be found and, as we adjust to a new normal, the Museum is exploring expanded programming, both in-person and virtually. We are dedicated to creating a safe and comfortable environment for visitors to experience the art and artists in person, but are also cognizant of the audience we can reach virtually. Through both lectures and tours, we see all of this programing growing in our future. The Art Shool has returned almost exclusively to in-person study, embracing measures to ensure a healthy studio environment for our students and faculty. Creating art within the studio setting and with the proper tools and equipment has had an enormous impact on creative growth, and we look forward to continuing to welcome everyone back to our classrooms to make art together safely.
What we can do to help the community As the Danforth grows, so will our impact on the surrounding community. We were founded on the idea that the Museum would serve as a cultural destination between Boston and Worcester, and that dedication still holds true. In the coming year we plan to expand our presence in Greater Boston through in-person programming, educational outreach, and maintaining an active role in the newly-designated Framingham Centre Common Cultural District.
The Future The Museum The Museum is looking strategically at its past, present, and future. We acknowledge the considerable work and experience that created the Danforth, and all of those who tapped into its potential over the years. There is still much to accomplish. Now that we are a part of Framingham State University, we are dedicated to our constituents—presenting quality exhibitions of contemporary regional artists, welcoming new members and audiences, and being grateful for those who have supported us all along.
The School Becoming a part of Framingham State University has allowed for a broader experience for our students and for the programs we have been able to offer. We have held a number of collaborations with various departments on campus and plan to continue finding links that will serve the university community as well as artists and students in the region. 22
Museum Donors Anonymous (3) Lisa A. Barthelson* Lee & Stuart Bauer* Kristine R. Bemis Beryl F. Bergen* Kathleen R. Bielak Margaret Birnbaum Danielle Bodley Mark Borreliz Boston Foundation Soul S. Brown Barry Burlingham* Barbara Carter* Selina Chow Chris Walsh Memorial Gifts Gary & Doris Christelis* Sara Cline* Ann Collins Frank Conway* Marie Craig Walter Crump Anita G. Cylmas Aimee Dalrymple Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. * denotes member/donor
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Eileen Donovan* Peter Drotch* John & Raeann Duff Patricia Epperley Susan Fiaschetti Carol M. Fineblum John Fisher Andrea Frank* Dick Freeman* Cynthia M. Garrett Dennis Geller* Jean Gibran* Rosalie Glovsky* Arthur Goldberg Marcia Goldsmith Millie Gonzalez* Beth & Steve Greeley Kimberly Gurlitz Eric P. Gustafson* Katie B. Hebert Toney Hopkins David & Elsa Hornfischer* Tim Johnson Milly Katzman*
Helen Lemoine Madeline Leone Lois B. Levick Jeanene Lewis Litowitz Foundation Inc. Sandra Lockhart Lusher Charter School PTSA Kristin K. Lynch Mimi Macksoud Susan Manzon* Karen M. McGrail* Susan Meeker Helen Meyrowitz Freda Mindlin Stephen Moro Joel Moskowitz* Joan Murtaugh Ann M. Nelson Bari & Will Norman Susan R. Perez Richard Perse Pinefield Garden Club Lucy Prespolis Debbie Quitt* Pamela P. Resor
Retired Men’s Association Inc. Nina Ricci Judy I. Riegelhaupt Jessica Roscio* Marcia Rosenberg Ron & Roz Rosenthal John & Gail Samuelson* Deborah Schuss Gary Shultz Judith G. Spivak Elise & John Stanbury Jessica Strauss & David Berson Mike & Betsy Swartz Donald C. Taggart, III Michal Truelsen Linda Warner David Weinberg Nan Tull Wezniak* David O. Whittemore
Ellen Wineberg Rosa Woodhams Christine Van Zadelhoff* Joan & Nelson Zide
(This list includes gifts received by the Danforth between July 1, 2020 June 30, 2021.)
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Gifts of $10,000 - $50,000 Boston Foundation Litowitz Foundation Inc. Joan Murtaugh Marcia Rosenberg Chris Walsh Memorial Gifts David Weinberg Gifts of $2,000 - $5,000 Anonymous Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Peter Drotch Richard Perse Mike & Betsy Swartz Nan Tull Wezniak Gifts of $500 - $1,000 Anonymous Gary & Doris Christelis Cynthia M. Garrett
(In Memory of Ben Frank Moss)
Arthur Goldberg Toney Hopkins David & Elsa Hornfischer Mimi Macksoud Susan Meeker Jessica Straus & David Berson Gifts of $250 - $499 Anonymous Selina Chow Kimberly Gurlitz Eric P. Gustafson Katie B. Hebert Milly Katzman Madeline Leone Helen Meyrowitz Debbie Quitt Ellen Wineberg
Gifts of $100 - $200 Lisa A. Barthelson Kristine R. Bemis (In Memory of Paul Rosenberg)
Beryl F. Bergen Danielle Bodley Ann Collins John & Raeann Duff Patricia Epperley Andrea Frank Beth & Steve Greeley Jeanene Lewis Sandra Lockhart Lusher Charter School PTSA Freda Mindlin Joel Moskowitz Bari & Will Norman Nina Ricci Judy I. Riegelhaupt John & Gail Samuelson (In Memory of Martha B. Korman)
Gary Shultz Elise & John Stanbury Donald C. Taggart, III Christine Van Zadelhoff Gifts of $50 - $75 Lee & Stuart Bauer (In Memory of Paul Rosenberg)
Kathleen R. Bielak Margaret Birnbaum Mark Borreliz Soul S. Brown Barry Burlingham Barbara Carter Sara Cline Marie Craig Walter Crump
Gifts of $50 - $75 (continued) Aimee Dalrymple Susan Fiaschetti John Fisher Dick Freeman Dennis Geller Jean Gibran Rosalie Glovsky Millie Gonzalez Tim Johnson Helen Lemoine Karen M. McGrail Stephen Moro Susan R. Perez Lucy Prespolis Pamela P. Resor Retired Men’s Association Inc. (In Memory of Jerome D. Hanfling)
Ron & Roz Rosenthal Judith G. Spivak Michal Truelsen David O. Whittemore Rosa Woodhams Gifts up to $50 Anita G. Cylmas Frank Conway Eileen Donovan Carol M. Fineblum Marcia Goldsmith Lois B. Levick Kristin K. Lynch Susan Manzon Ann M. Nelson Pinefield Garden Club Jessica Roscio Deborah Schuss Linda Warner Joan & Nelson Zide
Donors of Artwork John S. Foster Ben & Eileen Aronson Paula Z. Dimidis Robert Alter Allegra Ford Katherine Gulla
Murray Dewart Catherine Hillery Liz Albert J. Jones Rebecca Hutchinson
Donors to the Art School Kate & Steve Aultz Erin & Don Breda Nancy D’Amato Heidi Dildine Anne Vinick & Dan Garrity Amanda & Nick Hackett Debbie & Darin Hager Sara Hamerla Michele & Jeremiah Jefferson
Heidi Klapinksy Darcy Krzynowek Krithiha Raghunaathan Alicia Kim-Shen & Scott Shen Michelle & Rob Shields Emily & Walter Welch Danielle & Michael Williams Ceit & Arthur Zweil, III Alicia Kim-Shen & Scott Shen
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Danforth Volunteer Leadership Ellie Anbinder Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Richard Baiano Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Brian Bishop Professor of Art, Framingham State University Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board Chair, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board Collections Committee Gary Christelis Vice President and Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Marc Cote Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities Board Chair & Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board Michele DiVito Treasurer and Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Betty Funk Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Dr. Kurt T. Steinberg Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. John Thompson Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board David Weinberg President, Secretary and Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board Board Member, Framingham University Foundation Evelyn Wolfson Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board Dr. Ellen Zimmerman Interim Provost & Vice President, FSU Member, Danforth Art Center Advisory Board
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FSU Foundation Funds and Current Values Danforth Art Museum Acquisitions Fund: $114,852 Begun by the Weinberg Family in 2019, this fund is maintained by the family with the periodic addition of gifts, but it is not an endowed fund.
Paul B. Rosenberg Fund for Museum Education: $28,316 Established with $25,000 in late 2020, this endowed fund is expected to produce its first yield in FY2022.
Joan E. Murtaugh ’61 Art Conservation Fund: $35,040 This Fund was first established with an endowment of $25,000 in 2020, with its first yield in FY2022.
“As the new President of the Danforth Art Alliance, I am excited to be working to support the highly skilled, personable, and motivated professionals in the Museum and Art School. The Danforth truly is an extraordinary cultural asset for the MetroWest communities and a point of pride for FSU, the only public university in Massachusetts with its own museum of art.” - David Weinberg, President, Secretary and Trustee, Danforth Art Alliance, Inc. 28
The Danforth thanks you for your support!
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annual report design
Laura Gayton, Danforth Art Museum image credits Cover: Phillip Leslie Hale, Glitter, c. 1908 Pages 15-16, New Acquisitions: Stephen Marc, Soul Searching, 1997 Mia Cross, Another Girl Who Sat on the Couch Too Long, 2019 Natalie Alper, Untitled, 1981 Cynthia Maurice, Untitled, 2009 Liz Albert, Breakaway, 2017 Page 21: Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, Negro Poet (Portrait of Maxwell Nicy Hayson), c. 1920s Page 22: Phillip Leslie Hale, Deianira, Wife of Hercules, Being Carried Off by the Centaur Nessus, c. 1897 Page 23-24: Natalie Alper, Votive Song, n.d. Page 26: David Aronson, Three Musicians IV, 1972
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