SmithsonianCamp aign NEWS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN CAMPAIGN Scientists at the National Zoo and the Smithsonian SmithsonianCampaign MARCH 2016 | VOL. 2 | NO. 1 Conservation Biology Institute are studying the reproduction of cheetahs to help save them from extinction. Through a generous gift from Diane and Hal Brierley, the zoo has expanded its cheetah facility in Virginia. “Conservation may be the least understood work of the National Zoo,” says Hal Brierley. “We hope our gift will serve as a catalyst to inspire additional giving.”

Zazi with her seven-week-old cub.

YOUR IMPACT News from the Smithsonian Campaign

Giving is a Lewis Ensuring the FORD FUND CELEBRATES SECRETARY’S LETTER Barbara and Craig Barrett YOUNG AMBASSADORS Family Tradition Future of Amphibians Creativity is Our Foundation The Ford Motor Company Fund promotes Lead Smithsonian Academy As the façade of the Brian Gratwicke, a scientist with the promising young Latino leaders through National Museum of Smithsonian Conservation Biology very day I marvel at the boundless creativity of our As founding chairs of the Smithsonian Academy, its support of the award-winning Young African American History Institute (SCBI), is racing to save tropical Smithsonian curators in every discipline. One of we recognize and thank donors who have given Ambassadors Program. The Smithsonian and Culture was trans­ amphibians from a deadly fungus. their great accomplishments is on display at our $1 million or more to the Smithsonian’s museums, Latino Center pairs high school graduates E research, educational and other facilities. formed into a three­ “Brian’s passion and unbridled belief newly reopened Smithsonian American Art Museum’s with Latino experts and places them in dimensional canvas (see below), Loida Nicolas that he will find a solution is why we The Smithsonian Academy’s inaugural gathering on internships nationwide. “We are driving a Renwick Gallery. The beautifully renovated 19th­century Lewis (above, center) sat in the audience in awe. support him,” says Susan Mars. “He brighter future,” says Joe Ávila, community building is one of the latest milestones of the Smithsonian Sunday, April 10 in Washington, D.C., will be hosted by The New York lawyer was so inspired that she helped me understand that if all the outreach manager for the fund. Ford Campaign. The new Renwick’s premiere exhibition, WONDER, showcases the genius of the Smithsonian Regents and offer a sampler of Smithsonian­ made a second Founding Donor gift to the museum. frogs die, we will have bigger problems.” experiences­to­come for Academy members. funded the program’s anniversary craft through gallery­sized installations by nine contemporary artists. The inspiring The first came through her family foundation, the She and her husband Frank Mars have celebration last summer. Reginald F. Lewis Foundation. The second is in her invested in Gratwicke’s research through exhibition was created by Nicholas R. Bell, The Fleur and Charles Bresler Senior name and the names of her two daughters, Leslie SCBI in the Panama Amphibian Rescue Curator of American Craft and Decorative Art. Lewis and Christina Lewis Halpern (left and right, and Conservation Project. It safeguards In this issue of YOUR IMPACT, we highlight The initiative has stirred excitement above). “This is my contribution to my nation,” some of the world’s most vulnerable art. Through the Smithsonian Campaign, here. We have received more than 100 Lewis says. “The museum shows America at its amphibians and will reintroduce them our art museums aim to raise a combined requests for scholars from our museums finest. It recognizes the rich history of a people into the wild once a solution is found. $528 million, more than a third of our overall and research centers. Many of those who have overcome so much and have reached “I look forward to being on hand that campaign goal. This newsletter shows the are cross­disciplinary requests to foster the highest power in the land.” day,” Frank Mars says. impact of your campaign contributions emerging fields of study for which the on our museums for curators, exhibitions Smithsonian’s wide­ranging collections Videos projected on the exterior of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in November 2015 marked the countdown to the museum’s grand opening September 24, 2016 and commemorated the and programs. are ideally suited. ratification of the 13th Amendment, end of the Civil War and passage of the Voting Rights Act. Our programs would not exist, and our I am thankful two couples have stepped impact could not be felt across all fields of forward with generous gifts to fund six Our inaugural topic will be cultural recovery and the study, without our curators, conservators, scholars positions already. Ed and Helen Grable Foundation Smithsonian’s quest to save the past from the present. scientists and researchers. This is why, Hintz have led the charge by generously Trains Educators Stepping behind the scenes, we will learn firsthand how as my first priority, I am launching the funding five new positions (see their the Smithsonian helps preserve the heritage of Nepal, Haiti, Smithsonian Secretary’s Scholars, a profile on page 3).Dennis Keller, chair Through a gift from the Grable Foundation, Syria, Iraq and other global cultures. That evening, we will $25­million initiative to grow our ranks, of the Smithsonian National Board’s the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital dine with other Smithsonian leaders at the newly­renovated bringing in promising leaders in humanities, advancement committee, and his wife Access is bringing the Smithsonian into Pittsburgh Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. art and science. They will infuse new energy Connie Keller, have also funded a position, classrooms. The center is training middle school into the creative work of the Smithsonian, which will bring us that much closer to In the coming year, Smithsonian Academy members teachers to integrate the Smithsonian’s online accelerate the pace of discovery and build a hiring 15 scholars by this fall, and will explore the ideas, discoveries and new knowledge assets — videos, publications and digital images — pipeline of intellectual leaders for the future. ultimately 40 or more. that make the Smithsonian a vibrant national treasure. into their teaching. “When students can examine Members will have an at­your­service concierge: Finding, nurturing and growing talent is a and research an object, their understanding 202.633.5877, [email protected]. top John Grade, Middle Fork (Cascades), competitive challenge. It takes unwavering deepens,” says Tracey Armant, a program associate Laura Gobbi, director of programming and stewardship, 2015, site-specific installation in the attention and generous investments. I look at Grable. Renwick Gallery’s WONDER exhibition. will answer your questions and help you connect with forward to working with you to launch the the Smithsonian’s best. right Detail of a damaged mosaic in Syria. next generation of scholars who will redefine The Smithsonian works with Syrian and science, art and the humanities and amplify Iraqi museum and cultural professionals to Smithsonian Academy members, welcome to a new provide training, equipment and technical our global impact well into the future. era in your Smithsonian connection! YOUR IMPACT is published by the Smithsonian Campaign. Read more at smithsoniancampaign.org. support for the protection and preservation —David J. Skorton — Craig and Barbara Barrett CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS ASSISTANT SECRETARY CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR of cultural heritage. Barbara M. Barrett OF ADVANCEMENT Cynthia Brandt Stover Sakurako D. Fisher Virginia B. Clark [email protected] SmithsonianCampaign David M. Rubenstein [email protected] Alan G. Spoon WWW.SMITHSONIANCAMPAIGN.ORG JOHNSON DONATES ART FROM HIS COLLECTION

“Music has to be heard. Art has to be seen,” says Robert Johnson, founder of the RLJ Companies and Black Entertainment Television. With this in mind, he donated paintings from his collection to the National Museum of African American History and Culture including works by Frederick C. Flemister, Romare Bearden and Archibald John Motley, Jr. “Art tells a story,” Johnson says. “These pieces show the role African Americans played and continue to play in the United States.”

Art Thrives Across the Smithsonian

our campaign gifts are transforming SUPPORTING INNOVATION the arts across the Smithsonian AT THE PORTRAIT GALLERY by commissioning new works, A gift from Amy and Gary Perlin (below) to expanding collections, opening the National Portrait Gallery established the Yexhibitions and revitalizing museums. Director’s Visionary Fund, providing seed money for Director Kim Sajet (below, right) GALAS DAZZLE IN DC AND NYC to innovate. The fund helped Sajet commission INVESTING IN DESIGN National Portrait Gallery Out of Many, One, a bold portrait on six acres AND SCHOLARSHIP The first American Portrait Gala hosted in the of the National Mall, and translate exhibition “We have endless curiosity and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard honored guides into Spanish. “Kim has vision,” says Smithsonian is endlessly fascinating,” Hank Aaron, Corporal Kyle Carpenter, Aretha Gary Perlin. “She celebrates the diversity of says Ed Hintz, Smithsonian National Franklin, Carolina Herrera and Maya Lin. American culture and highlights promising, Board member. Inspired by people Attendees contributed $1.7 million toward up­and­coming artists.” BETTIE RUBENSTEIN and programs, Ed and Helen Hintz the museum’s $5 million goal to create an HONORED AT THE RENWICK (above) have invested in five exhibition endowment. As Bettie Rubenstein (above, right) toured Smithsonian Secretary’s Scholars Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden the newly renovated Renwick Gallery of the positions and three projects at The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Smithsonian American Art Museum with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design hosted its 40th anniversary gala in New York her son, philanthropist David Rubenstein Museum. (See Secretary Skorton’s City (bottom, opposite page) to celebrate (above, left), she looked up before stepping letter on page 1.) Their gifts to the contemporary artists such as Chuck Close, into the Grand Salon. There, above the entryway, Scholar’s initiative will build the Christo, Shirin Neshat and Maggie Michael. she saw her name “to her complete shock — intellectual workforce. At Cooper The evening raised more than $1.5 million and pleasure,” her son says. Rubenstein’s Hewitt, they have supported the for museum programming. gift to the Renwick helped renew the historic museum’s Harlem Design Center, Washington landmark. “I was delighted to the groundbreaking exhibition of designer Thomas Heatherwick and top Gabriel Dawe, Plexus A1, 2015 and Patrick honor my mother by having the main gallery Dougherty, Shindig, 2015, installations in the named for her, and I was particularly delighted the museum’s fifth installment of Renwick Gallery’s WONDER exhibition to surprise her with the naming.” the popular contemporary design exhibition series, Beauty — Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial, which runs CURATOR BRINGS NEW VIGOR TO FREER GALLERY through August 21, 2016. Through an endowment established by an anonymous donor, the Freer Gallery of Art and

the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery appointed Jan Stuart (left) the Melvin R. Seiden Curator top Frederick C. Flemister, Self-Portrait (detail), of Chinese Art. Here, Stuart reflects on her position as the museum’s first named curator. 1941, and Archibald John Motley, Jr., The Argument (detail), 1940. Collection of the Smithsonian The donor is interested in promoting greater understanding of Chinese art and culture National Museum of African American History and Culture. Gifts of Robert L. Johnson. at the national and international level. As the Seiden Curator, some of my first major middle At Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design acts were to identify and acquire an important, early 15th­century Ming dynasty Museum, Provocations: The Architecture and Design copper­red glazed dish, and to work with donor Shirley Johnson on the gift of her of Heatherwick Studio introduced the imaginative work of British designer, Thomas Heatherwick. fabulous imperial Qing dynasty formal court robe. I also am curating a two­object bottom Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu show with the dish and a Mark Rothko painting, exploring the power of red. This is (standing), Hirshhorn Trustee Emeritus Barbara unexpected. No one associates Rothko with the Freer Sackler. —Jan Stuart Levine (left), gallery owner Sean Kelly (center) and artist Marina Abramović (far right) at the museum’s 40th anniversary gala.