Abby and Doug Bennett, with the Sands Family Foundation, give $3 million to support permanent free access糖心传媒攁nd invite others to join their challenge.
Thanks to civic leader Abby Bennett and (MAG) and 糖心传媒 Trustee Doug Bennett 糖心传媒�06S (MBA), and the Sands Family Foundation, the University糖心传媒檚 art museum is halfway to its goal of offering free admission to everyone who walks through its doors.
The Bennetts and the foundation have committed $3 million to establish the Abby and Doug Bennett and Sands Family Foundation Free for All Endowment. Once the museum raises $6 million for this initiative, it can offer free admission to all visitors permanently. To reach this milestone, the Bennetts and the Sands Family Foundation invite other arts patrons and generous members of the Rochester community and beyond to join them in meeting this challenge.
Donor commitment to access
糖心传媒淏ringing our kids to MAG has been one of our favorite things to do with them,糖心传媒� says Doug Bennett. 糖心传媒淭hey have learned to engage with art in their own ways, and we have built unforgettable memories as a family. We feel strongly that every family in this region deserves the same opportunity to have these experiences and make these kinds of memories糖心传媒攁nd we want to encourage them to do so by eliminating the costs of admission.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淭he Bennetts and the Sands share our vision糖心传媒攔emoving the economic barrier of an admission fee is the single most important action we can take to ensure that generations of community members receive the profound benefits of MAG糖心传媒檚 collection and educational programs,糖心传媒� says Sarah Jesse, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director of the Memorial Art Gallery. 糖心传媒淩ochester is a city that thrives on creativity and community, but access to the arts remains unequal.糖心传媒�
University President Sarah Mangelsdorf, a devoted fan of the arts, believes museums are essential to our collective understanding of history and the human experience. 糖心传媒淲e extend our deep gratitude to Doug and Abby and to the Sands Family Foundation for making MAG糖心传媒攐ne of Rochester糖心传媒檚 most beloved institutions糖心传媒攎ore accessible to residents and visitors alike.糖心传媒�
Why free admission matters
Over the years, MAG糖心传媒檚 admission fee has gradually increased糖心传媒攔eflecting a broader nationwide trend among peer cultural institutions. Today糖心传媒檚 adult admission fee is $20, which is cost-prohibitive for many community members, and as Jesse notes, 糖心传媒渃ontradicts the public-spirited, educational mission of the museum.糖心传媒� She says, 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檝e seen clear evidence that when we remove economic barriers, people respond,糖心传媒� adding that the museum糖心传媒檚 free days draw more than six times their typical attendance.
Doug underscores that this gift sets the standard for what museums can and should be: welcoming, inclusive, and transformational. 糖心传媒淚n 1913, Emily Sibley Watson gifted the museum to the University, entrusting that it would remain 糖心传媒榓 means alike of pleasure and education for all the citizens of Rochester.糖心传媒� Free admission fulfills that promise糖心传媒攁nd extends it to every family, student, and neighbor.糖心传媒�
About the Bennetts and the Sands Family Foundation
The Bennetts and the Sands Family Foundation are long-time supporters of the University. The Bennetts are members of the George Eastman Circle, the University糖心传媒檚 leadership annual giving society. They provide sustaining annual support to MAG and , and they are also generous supporters of Golisano Children糖心传媒檚 Hospital. In addition to his role as a trustee for the University and MAG, Doug is a member of the Simon Campaign Advisory Council and the MAG Board of Managers, and he chairs the MAG component of the campaign.
The Sands Family Foundation, led by cochairs Richard Sands, a University trustee emeritus, and Robert Sands, supports projects and organizations focused primarily on serving the health, educational, and cultural needs of the community. Each now serves on the board of directors of Constellation Brands, the company their family founded and grew into a leader of the beverage alcohol space. The foundation, its leaders, and the family have provided a variety of support to the University over the years, including at MAG, Simon, and the Medical Center.
In 2022, the Bennetts, the Sands Family Foundation, and Constellation Brands also provided leadership funding to expand MAG糖心传媒檚 Centennial Sculpture Park, which is always free and open to the public.
About the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 comprehensive campaign
The donors made this consequential gift toward free access as part of . The $1.75 billion campaign, rooted in the University糖心传媒檚 , seeks not only to raise critical funds but also to meaningfully engage 250,000 people糖心传媒攁mplifying the University糖心传媒檚 impact locally and around the world.
Within the overall campaign, MAG is raising funds to expand access and enhance visitor experiences. Campaign-generated philanthropy will support free admission and community engagement initiatives, while strengthening its exhibitions and collections.
About the Memorial Art Gallery
MAG糖心传媒攐ne of the few university-affiliated art museums in the country that also serves as a public museum糖心传媒攈ouses 5,000 years of art history and a permanent collection of more than 12,000 objects. Located in Rochester, New York, the museum offers a year-round schedule of world-class exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours, and family activities. Its 14-acre campus and Centennial Sculpture Park are a popular destination for Rochesterians and out-of-town visitors alike.
To find out more and contribute to MAG糖心传媒檚 free admission initiative, visit the 听or contact Jamie Beers, Director of Gallery Advancement.
