The South Bend Museum of Art is getting a one-million-dollar boost. It was recently awarded a capacity-building grant from the Lilly Endowment.
Executive Director Lisa Shaffer says the funding means a more secure future for the museum. "We’re going to celebrate our 80th anniversary in 2027, so nothing could be more fortunate for the South Bend Museum of Art than receiving this type of shot in the arm, so to speak, to help really build the foundation that’s going to help them for the next 80 years," Shaffer said.
She says the million-dollar grant will help the museum better serve the community. "Specifically, we’ll see an investment in our collection," Shaffer explained. "We’ll see an investment in technology, which will help us be more data-driven in our decision making, so more strategic over time."
The grant will also help the museum conduct surveys to better understand what the community wants from its exhibitions, classes and its mission to focus on local and regional artists. Additionally, Shaffer says the grant will help improve the museum’s fundraising abilities.
"It’s investing in development, so that, as we look to the future, we’re financially capable of sustaining ourselves in all types of political climates and other types of climates," Shaffer added.
She believes this grant is the second or third largest the South Bend Museum of Art has ever received. The museum, located in the Century Center, holds more than 1,100 pieces of art in its collection, and its classes serve more than a thousand students each year.
