NEW YORK, NY, July 9, 2012 —
Louise Mirrer, President and CEO of the New-York Historical
Society, has announced the successful achievement of the
$100 million fundraising goal set in October 2006 to support
a major renovation of the institution’s landmark building on
Central Park West, as well as education programs serving
200,000 New York City schoolchildren annually.
A total of $70 million in capital funds has paid all costs
of the renovation of the building, which re-opened in
November 2011 following the largest and most ambitious
capital improvement program since two wings were added to
the original 1904 building in 1937. Transformed to welcome
visitors of all ages, the building now conveys a palpable
sense of history to visitors and passersby, with a new glass
gateway on Central Park West that provides a window onto
New-York Historical’s extraordinary collection of art,
objects, and documents. New facilities include the Robert
H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History, a
stunning, permanent display enhanced by new proprietary
technology; a renovated and improved Robert H. Smith
Auditorium, featuring a new, multi-media destination film
experience narrated by Liev Schreiber; and the DiMenna
Children’s History Museum, the first
museum-within-the-museum for young people and families.
An increase in $30 million to New-York Historical’s
endowment will help support the vast network of educational
activities sponsored by both the Museum and New-York
Historical’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, which is
widely acknowledged as one of the most important scholarly
resources in the United States.
“With the deepest gratitude for the leadership of our
Chairman, Roger Hertog, and our many benefactors, I am
delighted to announce the realization of the funding goals
set forth in our 2006 Strategic Plan,” Dr. Mirrer stated.
“This historic achievement provides further inspiration and
encouragement as we seek to secure the future of our great
institution with an ongoing campaign for endowment.”
The $100 million campaign received eight-figure lead gifts
from Richard Gilder, former Chairman of New-York Historical;
Roger Hertog, New-York Historical’s current Chairman; and
the late Robert H. Smith. Other major contributions to the
campaign were made by Joseph and Diana DiMenna, Bernard and
Irene Schwartz, the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, and the City
of New York.
About the New-York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society, one of America's
pre-eminent cultural institutions, is dedicated to fostering
research and presenting art and history exhibitions and
public programs that reveal the dynamism of history and its
influence on the world of today. Founded in 1804, New-York
Historical has a mission to explore the richly layered
history of New York City and State and the country, and to
serve as a national forum for the discussion of issues
surrounding the making and meaning of history.
New-York Historical is recognized for engaging the public
with deeply researched and far-ranging exhibitions, such as
Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America;
Slavery in New York; Nature and the American Vision: The
Hudson River School at the New-York Historical Society;
Grant and Lee in War and Peace; Lincoln and New York;
The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical
Society; and Nueva York. Supporting these
exhibitions and related education programs is one of the
world’s greatest collections of historical artifacts, works
of American art, and other materials documenting the history
of the United States and New York.