Media Contact
Karen Denne, 310-954-5058, kdenne@broadfoundation.org

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation gives $5 million to Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University to support exhibitions

Gift honors founding museum director Michael Rush, brings total Broad giving to $33 million

EAST LANSING, MI, April 18, 2014 – The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (Broad MSU) announced today it has received a new $5 million gift from The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to increase the museum’s exhibition endowment as well as to provide annual funding for exhibitions for the next five years. The gift was given in honor of the museum’s founding director, Michael Rush. Now in its second year, Broad MSU is dedicated to exploring global contemporary culture and ideas through art.

The $5 million gift brings to $33 million the total investment in Broad MSU made by Michigan State alumnus Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, in addition to significant gifts of art. The Broads were the catalyst for the new museum, providing a $28 million lead gift for the design and construction of Broad MSU’s Zaha Hadid-designed building and establishing exhibition and operations endowments and a fund for acquisitions.

“Since its opening in November 2012, the Broad Museum at MSU already has had a transformational impact on Michigan State University, the East Lansing community, and the region. This new endowment gift will ensure the museum can continue to advance its mission through engaging exhibitions,” said Lou Anna K. Simon, president of Michigan State University. “We are grateful to Eli and Edythe Broad for their continued generosity and support of programs throughout our campus, and particularly for Broad MSU.”

“Michael Rush is realizing the vision for Broad MSU, bringing contemporary artists from around the globe to East Lansing and drawing audiences from around the state, across the country, and from all corners of the world,” said Eli Broad. “The exhibitions presented at the museum provide opportunities for students and the community to experience art that they might otherwise never see, while simultaneously drawing new visitors to East Lansing. Edythe and I are pleased to recognize Michael Rush’s leadership in creating this unique institution, and we wanted to ensure that the museum continues to push boundaries in the types of exhibitions it presents.”

With a collection containing 7,500 objects from the Greek and Roman periods through the Renaissance and on to the Modern, Broad MSU is uniquely able to contextualize the wide range of contemporary art practices within a firm historical context. Many of the international artists featured are presenting their work for the first time at an American museum or creating new site-responsive commissions for their exhibitions.

The museum, which is expected to infuse an estimated $5 million annually in new spending in the local economy, has exceeded pre-opening attendance projections. To date, more than 125,000 people have visited the museum, traveling from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. In the 32 exhibitions presented since the opening, Broad MSU has shown works by artists from more than 30 countries. On 2 campus, the museum has developed programs that engage students from all disciplines, and more than 70 students work at the museum.

“The exhibitions we develop at Broad MSU complement and add to Michigan State University’s globally focused mission, and we often work with artists in countries where MSU has already developed programs,” said Rush. “This new endowment gift will allow us to continue this type of programming well into the future and I am deeply honored that the Broads have given this gift in my name.”

The Broad Foundations
Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, established The Broad Foundations to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science, and the arts. The Broad Foundations include The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and The Broad Art Foundation. Since 1984, The Broad Art Foundation has operated an active “lending library” of its extensive collection. Dedicated to increasing access to contemporary art for audiences worldwide, The Broad Art Foundation has provided some 500 museums and university galleries worldwide with more than 8,000 loans of artwork, and the Broads are building a contemporary art museum, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, on Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles. Strong believers in higher education, the Broads have further extended their philanthropy to a number of universities across the country. In 1991, the Broads endowed The Eli Broad College of Business and The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University, where Mr. Broad graduated cum laude in 1954. In June 2007, the Broads announced a $26 million gift, later increased to $28 million, to create the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU.

Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University
The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, a new Zaha Hadid-designed contemporary art museum at Michigan State University, is dedicated to exploring global contemporary culture and ideas through art. Opened on November 10, 2012, the dynamic 46,000-square-foot museum serves as both a teaching institution and a cultural hub for East Lansing and the region. In keeping with MSU’s commitment to applying knowledge to benefit society and further the global common good, Broad MSU’s program of original and traveling exhibitions, initiatives with living artists, performances, and educational offerings for students, faculty, and the community make the museum a center for questioning and understanding the modern world. With a collection containing 7,500 objects from the Greek and Roman periods through the Renaissance and on to the Modern, the Broad MSU is uniquely able to contextualize the wide range of contemporary art practices within a firm historical context. The museum is named in honor of Eli and Edythe Broad, longtime supporters of the university who provided the lead gift of $28 million.

For more information, visit
www.broadmuseum.msu.edu.

Michigan State University
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

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