Leslie Ramos, author of upcoming book give artsaid that the UK “just doesn’t have the culture of philanthropy, especially the arts, that the US does.”a few major backers died recentlyshe added, and young donors weren’t filling that gap. They prefer donating to social justice causes and organizations fighting climate change, she said.
Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, one of the UK’s largest arts organizations, which donated about $630,000 to the renovation of the National Portrait Gallery, said his fund would be unimaginable. He said the number of applications was “exploding”. satisfaction.
As some of Britain’s major museums embark on multi-year overhauls, their reliance on donors is increasing. The British Museum is expected to announce renovations soon. The Financial Times reported that it would cost £1 billion, about $1.3 billion. The National Gallery is also working on: Raise £95m for renovations. In May, museum development director Anh Nguyen said: told an audience of donors And reporters said she had “sleepless nights” and “palpitations” trying to secure funds.
Cullinan, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said the key to attracting the attention of donors is to create a compelling project. The National Portrait Gallery, founded in 1856 with the purpose of displaying portraits of Britain’s most prominent people, was much loved before its renovation, but clearly had room for improvement, he said. rice field. Visitors may miss the former entrance, a small doorway on a busy street. He added that museum corridors often feel like rabbit hives and that some of the exhibits “haven’t been touched in 30 years.” The only teaching space was a “dirty basement,” he added.
Cullinan said the exhibits were also unrepresentative of modern Britain, saying “only 3 percent were portraits of people of color on the walls.” (After renovation he increased to 11%.)
