JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is one of the largest Fine Arts Museums in Northeast Florida. This week, they celebrate 60 years of service to the community and visitors from all over the country.
Here’s the Buzz:
Thursday will mark 60 years to the date that doors opened to the public at the Cummer Museum.
The museum is celebrating all weekend with free admission, family fun and live music.
“We’re excited about welcoming people that haven’t come before as well as people that make the Cummer a regular stop,” Museum Director Andrea Barnwell Brownlee said.
Brownlee said in addition to the leadership council and staff, the community has kept the museum alive.
“Sixty is about determining who you really want to be when you grow up, and we definitely need the community’s involvement,” Brownlee said.
To help move the museum forward, the staff has launched a 30 & 30 in 30-year end campaign.
“We are really hoping that we’ll invite 60 family memberships as well as 60 people to join us at our Ponce De Leon membership level, which is our donor society, so we’ve got a big vision and we are inviting everyone to come and enjoy with us,” Brownlee said.
Curator Holly Keris said things like donations are how they’ve grown the collection from just 60 pieces of the founder,Ninah Cummer’s art to 5,000 pieces.
“I don’t think she could have anticipated where we are today. I think she would be absolutely thrilled to see the amount of community support that this museum is privileged to have,” Keris said.
Brownlee said they’ll continue to make Ninah Cummer’s vision thrive.
“We are moving forward in lightning speed. This incredible milestone includes special lectures examining her life and her legacy, special slate events like dinner parties. We’ve got an exciting slate of exhibitions that are on the horizon," Brownlee said.
For more information on the 60 & 60 in 60 campaign and how you can help carry on the Cummer Museum legacy, click here.