1 Cummer Museum Annual Report 2015 ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 2015 FROM THE DIRECTOR & BOARD CHAIR It is our pleasure to share the story of the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens from 2015. It was an unprecedented year as we brought the Museum’s mission to life for more than 165,000 visitors, the largest attendance in the Museum’s history. Throughout this Report you will read the words and glimpse the experiences of Museum Members, Donors, MISSION Volunteers, affinity groups, teachers, artists, families, partners, and visitors. THE MISSION OF THE CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS IS TO ENGAGE AND INSPIRE The results of a year can be measured in many ways. Data is an important part of how we track growth, fiscal stability, learning THROUGH THE ARTS, GARDENS, AND EDUCATION. outcomes, and visitor satisfaction. The numbers for 2015 were strong. Participation increased nearly 14% over the previous year. Volunteers continued to make a remarkable difference with more than 6,600 committing a total of 25,916 hours. It is challenging however, to portray the remarkable energy of this institution in words and data. Although we have much to VISION do and more to learn, there is a palpable vibrancy on our campus. On any given day, hundreds of students are experiencing the Museum through hands-on learning, bus loads of adults are disembarking for tours of the Gardens and Galleries, the The Cummer Museum is a vital community partner that Cummer Café has a line waiting for tables under the oak trees, and musicians, actors, artists, and dancers are energizing the reaches out to diverse audiences through outstanding spaces. The same energy propels the staff and volunteers as they take the Museum into classrooms, partner organizations, artistic offerings, dynamic learning experiences, and hospitals, artist studios, parks, and the streets of our neighborhoods. opportunities to participate in the beauty of the natural world. Arts, gardens, and education converge The year began by launching the Museum’s new brand and the message that our organization is beautiful, dynamic, to create meaningful personal experiences and open artful, and for all. Fundraising initiatives, from Garden Month to the Cummer Ball, contributed significantly to the mission a world of new possibilities. We honor our rich history, of the Museum. New endowments to support exhibitions and Gardens were established and the Ponce de León Society embrace the energy of our time, and commit to a expanded. As a result, the Museum ended its year in the black, for the seventh year in a row. vibrant future through the advancement of resources to grow and deepen our mission. The Museum strove for excellence through exhibitions, programs, garden initiatives, and outreach. We hosted a wide array of exhibitions that exemplify our focus on high-quality offerings that have the power to engage audiences and provide a platform for building community through the arts. It was also a year of celebrating our own Collection through new acquisitions, through our participation in the Outings Project, which pushed portraits from our Collection onto the streets VALUES of downtown, through conservation projects, and by investing in the Galleries and broader campus. We believe in the transformational The Gardens remain a huge draw for visitors and a major asset for our community. Our focus on the connection between art impact of a unique experience. and the natural world was sharp this year with Reflections: Artful Perspectives on the St. Johns River and its related programs, where we connected historic works in the Collection with new pieces by local artists in a celebration of the St. Johns River. We believe in having a passion for excellence in everything we do. Public programs, education curriculum, and new collaborations provided a wide variety of opportunities for learning and We believe we are responsible for fun. From concerts in the Gardens and theater productions in our Galleries to lectures on Nazi looting and TEDx Tuesdays, our actions and outcomes. it was a year for innovative, highly-attended public programming. We believe that every individual has th Two milestones are celebrated in depth in this report. The Museum celebrated the 20 anniversary of the VSA Festival and inherent worth and deserves respect. the 10th anniversary of the Start with the Arts early childhood program. In addition, the process to create a Museum-wide visitor experience plan was completed and will begin to have a visible impact on how we engage our audiences. We believe in collaborating to strengthen ourselves and We thank all of you for creating a relationship with the Cummer Museum that makes a difference. We hope this report, the community. with its program descriptions, financial reports, personal narratives, and lists of supporters and partners, will inspire you to We believe in honoring our roots remain part of the Cummer Museum family. Your commitment is critical to our success and we thank you. while creating a dynamic future. Hope McMath, Museum Director John Donahoo, Board of Trustees Chair 2 Cummer Museum Annual Report 2015 cummermuseum.org 3 PERMANENT COLLECTION The Museum’s Permanent Collection consists of nearly 5,000 works of art spanning from 2100 B.C. through the present day. The Collection is brought to life for our visitors through programs, educational tours, and other opportunities throughout the year. PERMANENT COLLECTION PIECES ON LOAN People around the country were able to experience works of art from the Cummer Museum’s Permanent Collection, as other institutions asked to borrow pieces to supplement their installations. William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825 – 1905) Young Love, 1889 The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, West Palm Beach, Florida Bouguereau’s ‘Fancies’: Allegorical and Mythological Works by the French Master (shown right) Charles Courtney Curran (American, 1861 – 1942) Summer Morning, c. 1915 The Frick Art & Historical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, South Carolina Charles Courtney Curran: Seeking the Ideal Joseph Rodefer De Camp (American, 1858 – 1923) The Red Kimono, c. 1919 Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, Florida Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, Tennessee Monet and American Impressionism Joseph Jeffers Dodge (American, 1917 – 1997) Horizons, 1990 and Dancing Pears I, 1992 Eugene Savage (American, 1883 – 1978) South Moon Under, 1935 and Cypress Trail, 1945 Governor’s Mansion, Tallahassee, Florida Long-term Loan Terence Netter (American, b. 1929) Palm Sunday, 2000 Jacksonville University, Marine Science Research Institute, Jacksonville, Florida Long-term Loan Twenty-one examples of Meissen porcelain from the Constance I. and Ralph H. Wark Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida High Tea: Glorious Manifestations – East and West 4 Cummer Museum Annual Report 2015 cummermuseum.org 5 ART CONSERVATION The Cummer Museum’s commitment to ACQUISITIONS preserving the Permanent Collection for future generations begins with care for its masterpieces. From preventative Thanks to the generosity of many donors, the Cummer Museum expanded one of its most important assets, maintenance in the Galleries to conservation the Permanent Collection, during this fiscal year. Whether through an outright gift of a work of art, or through treatment by trained professionals, the those who have contributed financially towards one of the Museum’s dedicated art purchase funds, the Cummer Museum provides care that either improves Museum extends sincere thanks to the donors who value the Permanent Collection and wish to see it grow for the condition of the piece or maintains its future generations of visitors. One such gift was of Two-handled dish, c. 1740-1750, from the Meissen Porcelain stability. This year, our conservation efforts Manufactory, a gift of Victor von Klemperer, in memory of Kumi. were focused on a particular work in the courtyard that is visible to almost every visitor. The bronze sculpture, Running Boy (c. 1923), by Janet Scudder, was a gift in remembrance of Dolly Ann Tyler by Helen and Ed Lane and Joannie and Russell Newton in 2002. The sculpture required an extensive amount of work including cleaning, removal of mineral deposits, and a re-patination of the surface. By doing so, the conservator was able to reestablish the aesthetic continuity and integrity of the statue. LOANS TO THE COLLECTION Many generous individuals, organizations, and institutions chose to lend pieces from their collections to the Cummer Museum during the past year. These works of art have played an important role in helping the Museum expand the scope of Permanent Collection Galleries and educational initiatives. Charles Biederman (American, 1906 – 2004), New York #8, 1939, painted on wood William Trost Richards (American, 1833 – 1905), Rocky Coast, 1887, oil on canvas, and glass, 36 ½ x 28 ¾ x 4 ¼ in., On loan from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell 27 x 47 in., On loan from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D. Foundation. Jacobsen, Ph.D. Foundation. Randolph Rogers (American, 1825 – 1892), Nydia, The Blind Girl of Pompeii, Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822 – 1899), Tiger and a Snake, 1879, watercolor, 1860, marble, 54 in., On loan from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen, 22 ½ x 29 ¼ x 2 ¼ in., On loan from Jeanne R. Brittingham, Virginia R. Ellenberg Ph.D. Foundation. and T.S. Roberts, III in loving memory of their mother, Grace F. Roberts. Thomas Prichard Rossiter (American, 1818 – 1871), The Discoverers, 1858, oil on Werner Drewes (American, 1899 – 1985), Composition 289, 1943, oil on canvas, canvas, 20 x 40 in., On loan from the Thomas H. and Diane DeMell Jacobsen, 29 x 46 in., On loan from Diane DeMell Jacobsen, Ph.D. Ph.D. Foundation. Robert Scott Duncanson (American, 1821 – 1872), Landscape with Fishing Scene, Joseph Stella (American, 1877 – 1946), Barbados, 1938, oil on canvas, 17 ¼ x 17 ¼ in., c. 1856, oil on canvas, 42 x 58 in., On loan from the Berg Family.