DETROIT — Founders Junior Council, a young professionals auxiliary of the Detroit Institute of Arts, has announced a $500,000 gift to the museum’s operating endowment. Friends and donors of the FJC who helped make this gift possible will be recognized at a dedication event and champagne toast at the DIA on June 19, at 6:30 p.m. A plaque recognizing the gift will be unveiled that evening in the museum’s dining room.
This is the largest single gift FJC has ever made to the museum. The auxiliary has granted more than $2 million to the DIA since its inception close to 50 years ago. The gift is an investment in the DIA’s future. It helps ensure that the museum continues to engage, enlighten, and delight visitors for generations to come.
“This is an exceptional gift from an auxiliary that has long supported programs and art acquisitions,” Graham W.J. Beal, DIA director, said. “Now FJC has contributed handsomely to our most pressing need: building our operating endowment to ensure the long-term financial stability of the DIA.”
Following the dedication and champagne toast, FJC will host its annual meeting and Summer Social party at the Fountain Bistro restaurant in Campus Martius. Keynote speaker Daniel Caudill, creative director at Shinola, will talk about how and why Shinola chose to locate in Midtown Detroit.
“This night will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the efforts by all those who made this major gift to the DIA possible, as well as those who are working to write Detroit’s next chapter, such as our neighbors at Shinola,” Trish Dewald, FJC president, said. “I am especially proud to see FJC reach its goal of raising significant funds towards the well being of our museum and I expect to see even greater contributions in the future.”
These events are open to the public; tickets for the annual meeting and Summer Social portion of the evening are $35. Please RSVP for one or both portions of the evening by contacting the DIA at (313)833-4005 or by visiting www.dia.org/fjc.
