Bush and Kresge Foundations Fire Up Campaign at the Plains

In rough economic times, new museum projects require the kind of lift that the Plains Art Museum has just received. The recent 1.35 million in awards is designated for the Plains Art Museum construction of the Center for Creativity and Lifelong Learning, an innovative and worthy project that will significantly augment the current educational and studio programs at the Plains.

The recent awards include a Bush Foundation grant of $555,000 and a Kresge Foundation award of $800,000.  The Kresge funds were approved as a Challenge Grant, which means the monies are contingent upon completion of the fundraising portion of the Center for Creativity campaign, a challenge the museum is prepared to meet.

The Center for Creativity will include artist studios spaces, classrooms for art education programs for all ages, a ceramics studio, and a gallery. Additional enhancements include a partnership with the Fargo Public Schools for “teaching studios,” and positive changes in Visitor Services, among others.

Funding for the 7.3 million capital and endowment campaign is 71 percent complete, quite a feat in the current economic climate. Given the generosity and good will of individual and corporate donors, plus the resounding vote of confidence by the Bush and Kresge Foundations, success for this valuable Plains project is firmly within reach. Plains Director Colleen Sheehy sees the Bush and Kresge allocations as the “validation that will help to propel the final stages of the capital campaign.”

Community members who wish to support the Center for Creativity may want to consider the praise of Bush Foundation Vice President Pamela Wheelock: “The Museum’s ambitious goals to be a creative thought leader in the community and to offer civic spaces that allow for the exploration of ideas and learning are admirable and have the potential to improve the quality of life in the Fargo-Moorhead community.” 

The communities of Fargo and Moorhead have a track record of supporting their finest institutions, those beacons of culture such as the Plains that add inestimable social, artistic, and educational value.  As the Plains solicits additional Center for Creativity sponsors, it is important to remember that these contributors, along with many others, will hold an esteemed place in the cultural history and memory of the community.

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