From left are SWRMA Board members Christopher Saxman, Victoria Chick, Lucy Whitmarsh and Claude Smith III.
Since January, the Southwest Regional Museum of Art Board is moving forward pursuing the goal of its Capital Campaign, meeting with trust holders, corporate representatives, and business leaders to ask for pledges of a significant amount paid over 5 years.
As you know, the Capital Campaign Goal of $1,200,000 will be used to purchase the old Silver City Post Office and renovate it to standards of the American Alliance of Museums. This First Phase of purchase and remodel will be followed, in the future, by a second phase already planned. SWRMA is blessed with generous Grant County residents who have made the art museum the beneficiary of their wills, gestures that will assure a sustaining future.
Since the last Newsletter, the Art Research library has been gifted 2,000 more art books for a total of 5,000 books in the Flanders Art Research Library. This is a fabulous educational History and Art resource for a small town Museum and its visitors.
Artist Mimi Peterson gifted one of her artworks to Southwest Regional Museum of Art before she moved to Santa Fe. The museum is grateful for her painting and her helpful museum expertise in the formation of SWRMA.
Victoria Chick recently gifted three artworks to the Permanent collection: A pastel painting by Ohio artist Sheila Bonser; an etching by Charles Welles, whose other works are owned by MIT, Library of Congress, Whitney Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery; and an etching by Thom O'Connor, an internationally collected and exhibited artist, a Fulbright Scholar, and a retired printmaking professor (CUNY-Albany).
Last, but by no means least, the Museum Board is excited to have begun the SW Regional Art Museum Outreach Program. SWRMA Board Member Claude Smith III is teaching hands-on clay use, while incorporating social studies, history, and geology for second and third graders in the Animas, NM schools this semester.
Don't forget to look at the Museum's updated website for new video and architectural information for plans to transform the Old Silver City Post Office into the first stage of Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center. www.southwest-art-museum.org
SWRMA will continue to be an educational and inspirational resource while raising funds for its Museum building. SWRMA asks for your donations a it aims to create the best small town art museum in America here in Silver City.
