FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2013 Contact Natalie Mathis Director of Institutional Advancement (513) 352-5133 nmathis@taftmuseum.org
Taft Museum of Art Awarded $100,000 Two-Year Annual Gift from Haile Foundation Images can be found here: http://www.taftmuseum.org/?page_id=4164 Art for All Sponsored by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation The Taft Museum of Art received a two year gift from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation in the amount of $100,000 per year. The grant will provide support during the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons and will continue the Haile Foundation’s successful partnership with Taft Museum of Art. Taft leadership plans to use the support to continue to build on the momentum of the 80th-Anniversary Season, during which the Haile Foundation underwrote the Museum’s wildly successful Art for All project, which was awarded the prestigious Ohio Museums Association Award for Best Education/Outreach Program at the association’s annual meeting this past weekend. Art for All placed eighty reproductions from the Taft’s collection in neighborhoods throughout the Greater Cincinnati region. As part of the project, The Haile Foundation also underwrote a partnership between the Taft and ArtWorks to paint two permanent murals, one in Bellevue, Kentucky, and one facing Music Hall, across Washington Park in Over the Rhine. This gift will be used to continue a region-wide awareness-building campaign of the Taft and its offerings. “In addition to awareness building, with this new and generous pledge of support, the Taft will be able to host a season of premium exhibitions, which complement the Museum’s world-renowned permanent collection and local historic treasures,” said Deborah Emont Scott, Director/CEO. The permanent collection includes: paintings by such masters as Rembrandt, Turner, Whistler, and Hals; ancient Chinese porcelains; the finest medieval ivory virgin sculpture in the world; French Limoges enamels; and American decorative arts. For the past three years, The Haile Foundation has made it possible for the Taft to offer free admission every Sunday through a $100,000 annual three-year grant. The support enabled the Museum to change its free day from Wednesday to Sunday, an extremely successful move that increased attendance on Sundays by 125 % and helped to engage young people and diverse families with the Museum. The support also enabled the Taft to present “Third Sunday Fundays” and other interactive programming on select Sundays throughout the year. Since the Haile Foundation’s gift will be used to support the next two seasons, there is now an opportunity for others to step in as underwriters for Free Sundays, which benefit regional families, and eliminates financial barriers, enabling everyone to enjoy the Taft’s world-class artistic and historic local treasures. “We hope another generous funder will step into the role and underwrite this worthy initiative,” said Tim Maloney, President and CEO of the Haile Foundation. “We are pleased to have been able to support the Taft Museum’s successes over the past three years. We look forward to continuing our relationship and to seeing what great things we can do next,” said Mr. Maloney. “Everyone deserves to have great art and strong cultural organizations in their city. All Greater Cincinnatians benefit from this extremely generous gift from the Haile Foundation,” said Gerry Greene, Taft Museum of Art Board Chair. “Mr. Maloney and the Haile Foundation are doing important things for the region, and we are extremely grateful for their support,” Mr. Greene said.
The Taft Museum of Art is at 316 Pike St., in downtown Cincinnati. The Museum is open Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, students, and teachers, $4 for youth 12-17, and free for children under 12. The Museum is free to all on Sundays. Call 513-241-0343 or visit the website at www.taftmuseum.org for additional information. ###### The Taft Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Museum with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Taft Museum of Art is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is affiliated with the Association of Midwest Museums and the Ohio Museums Association. Mission Statement The Taft Museum of Art welcomes people of every background to experience a world-renowned collection in a beautiful historic house. Through its intimate presentation of the Tafts' treasures and its engaging exhibitions, programs, and activities, the Museum creates enjoyment and learning opportunities for all. Diversity Statement The Taft Museum of Art respects the dignity of all people and values what each member of our team brings to the organization. Accordingly, the Museum is committed to building an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diversity. This includes our staff, board of directors, volunteers and visitors. As an organization we recognize the importance of attracting and retaining talented people of different backgrounds. We understand how a diverse work team of staff, board of directors and volunteers benefits our organization by enabling us to draw upon a richness of resources. We want all our team members to feel appreciated for their uniqueness, so we work to foster an environment that provides everyone equal access to information and opportunities. This ensures that each person learns, grows, excels and maximizes his or her personal contributions. The Museum will thus be able to tap into a greater wealth of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences to develop and deliver programs and services to an increasingly diverse audience.