The Kresge Foundation has awarded a $1 million challenge grant to the Sam Fox Arts Center.
The grant will support construction of two new buildings — the 65,000-square-foot Museum Building and the 38,000-square-foot Earl E. and Myrtle E. Walker Hall — as well as renovations to Bixby and Givens halls.
To receive the grant, the University must raise an additional $4.4 million in outright gifts and pledges. Another goal of the grant is to attract support from a broad base of friends and donors.
“Superb visual arts education is one of the hallmarks of Washington University, but new facilities for our programs are urgently needed,” Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton said. “On April 14, 2004, we will break ground for the Sam Fox Arts Center. Fumihiko Maki, the renowned architect for the project, and the famed artist Frank Stella will be our honored guests, and we are planning a celebration to be remembered.
“I ask all our friends to help us meet the Kresge challenge by April 14, so that we can announce our success at the groundbreaking ceremony.”
In October, the Sam Fox Arts Center successfully met a $1 million challenge grant from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla. Donations totaling $5.8 million from 30 individuals, two foundations and two companies to support construction of the Museum Building were received by the Oct. 9, 2003, deadline and enabled the University to earn the grant.
The Kresge Foundation is an independent, private foundation based in Troy, Mich. It was created in 1924 by the personal gifts of Sebastian S. Kresge “to promote the well-being of mankind” and is not affiliated with any corporation or organization.
Today, the foundation’s challenge grants reflect virtually the entire breadth of the nonprofit sector, including higher education, health and long-term care, arts and humanities, human services, public affairs and science and the environment.
Since its establishment, the foundation has awarded more than 8,000 grants, both nationally and internationally, totaling close to $2 billion.
For more information, contact Lynn Giardina, senior director of development, at 935-7217 or giardina@wustl.edu.
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