Museum Gift

From the WP:

"$20 million gift will fund update to Holocaust Museum’s permanent exhibition"

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has received $20 million to update its central exhibition, the groundbreaking narrative that has been on view since the museum opened in 1993. Allan Holt, vice chairman of the museum’s governing board, and his wife, Shelley, made the donation, one of the largest gifts in the museum’s history. It will invigorate the exhibition and bring it into the 21st century, said the museum’s director, Sara Bloomfield. The permanent exhibition is the centerpiece of the museum, which draws 1.6 million visitors a year. “This exhibition has such extraordinary power. The goal is to retain what is still so powerful for everyone today, and address issues for a younger audience with different expectations,” Bloomfield said. “We think we can make it more powerful.” Holt is the son of Holocaust survivors, and his gift honors them and those who died. “I wanted to do something that would honor the victims and would also ensure the museum’s ability to impact new generations in an ever-changing world,” Holt, who is a senior partner and managing director of the Carlyle Group, said in a statement.  The exhibition’s iconic experiences – for example, a railroad car and display of victims’ shoes  – will not be altered, Bloomfield said. But the story will include developments that have occurred in the decades since the show was developed, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union. The story will include information that today’s young students – all born after the museum opened – may not know, she said. New technologies will be added, and current ones updated. “Audiovisual elements are very important,” Bloomfield said, noting that many hours of film are played in the gallery. “[But] the pacing of those films is slow for the 21st century.” The “revitalization,” as the museum is describing it, will take five to seven years, with the first few dedicated to planning. The Holt gift is expected to cover all costs, and the museum and its exhibition will remain open during the work, Bloomfield said. The museum is just south of the main stretch of the Mall and near the Tidal Basin. The Holt donation is one of the largest gifts made to the museum’s $540 million campaign, launched publicly in 2013, the museum’s 20th anniversary. The donation pushes the campaign over its goal, to $556 million. “The fact that the gift that puts it over the goal is coming from the son of Holocaust survivors and that its purpose is to keep the history relevant . . . is symbolic of our institution,” Bloomfield said.

^ I used to work at the USHMM and so am glad they got this gift and can update their display. The museum is always packed and updating the displays will keep those that have already visited to return and see the changes and those that haven't been there yet a new experience. ^

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/06/12/20-million-gift-will-fund-update-to-holocaust-museums-permanent-exhibition/