FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Norah Diedrich, Executive Director, Evanston Art Center
(847) 475-5300, ext. 202
Paula Danoff, Director of Development and Communications, Evanston Art Center
(847) 475-5300, ext. 206
Evanston Philanthropist Supports Evanston Art Center with
$500,000 Gift
EVANSTON, Ill., December 2, 2014 – Evanston resident and philanthropist Col. Jennifer N. Pritzker has once again demonstrated her commitment to the arts and the local community by making a generous gift to the Evanston Art Center. Her $500,000 contribution will support the organization’s building renovation, expanded arts programming, and outreach initiatives as part of its “See the Bigger Picture” campaign.
The “See the Bigger Picture” campaign will help to realize the re-imagined Evanston Art Center and its updated, centrally located new facility at 1717 Central Street in Evanston. This renovated 20,000-square-foot space will offer expanded cross-disciplinary arts programming, adding activities in culinary and language arts, design, digital arts and fabrication, film, movement, and music in addition to its core visual arts programming. The Art Center hopes to be moved in by May 2015.
The successful launch of the $2.5 million capital campaign will position the Art Center to effectively serve a more diverse audience through new arts and cultural programming while building on the successes and traditions of its past. The Art Center’s four main program focus areas will be creative youth development, lifelong learning, professional development, and community engagement and partnerships.
Evanston Art Center’s board president Tess Lickerman expressed her gratitude, and said it is gifts like these from within the community that help the organization fulfill its mission.
“We would like to thank Colonel Pritzker for once again investing in this community and its people,” said Lickerman. “It is because of her very generous donation and the support we have received from our students, donors, and members that the Evanston Art Center will continue to provide innovative instruction and a platform for artists to explore their own abilities but now in a new, state-of-the-art facility.”
In an era where school systems across the nation are forced to reduce funding for arts programs, the critical role the arts play in developing young minds cannot be understated.
“Overall, this gift toward the renovation is a great reminder of the value of the arts in Evanston,” said Nick Gehl, department chair of Fine Arts at Evanston Township High School. “Having a local arts center is critical to the development of our young people. The habits of mind developed in the studio provide the critical thinking skills necessary to make a difference in our immediate and larger communities. Gehl added, “Creativity and innovation will be necessary to solve our future problems and enhance our way of life and both are skill sets that are directly shaped in the arts.”
Nan Stein, art department chair at Evanston/Skokie School District 65 couldn’t agree more.
"The arts are of utmost importance in youth education and the development of 21st century skills,” said Stein. “There is a need for a growing community arts center that offers educational and exhibition opportunities."
Jane Grover, Evanston’s 7th Ward Alderman, looks forward to the economic benefits that the new, centrally located Art Center will bring to the city.
“The Evanston Art Center is a distinct and welcome addition to our Central Street business district and will be a magnet for neighbors, shoppers, and the North Shore artists' community,” said Grover.
Recognizing the importance of the Evanston Art Center and its vision to be a place where creativity meets community is Ra Joy, Executive Director of Arts Alliance Illinois.
“We look forward to seeing the continued positive impact the reimagined and updated Center will make on Evanston’s community, culture, and economy.”
About the Evanston Art Center
Established in 1929 by a group of Evanston’s civic and cultural leaders, the Evanston Art Center has grown to be one of the largest and most respected arts centers in Illinois. The mission is to foster the appreciation and expression of the arts among diverse audiences by offering extensive and innovative instruction through classes, exhibitions, interactive arts activities, and community outreach initiatives. The Art Center’s new facility and its expanded arts programming is inspired by the belief that the arts are an integral part of vibrant communities and provide exceptional outlets for creative expression and innovative ideas.
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