$10.6M gift to Queens Museum of Art

On Thursday, March 9, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall presented the Queens Museum of Art a check for $10.6 million, the largest single-gift in the museum’s history, towards the museum’s $36 million renovation and expansion project.
The museum currently occupies the northern half of the New York City Building in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and the expansion will effectively allow the museum to occupy the entire 105,000 square foot structure, doubling its size.
“This is a momentous moment in the history of the museum,” said Queens Museum of Art Executive Director Tom Finkelpearl.
Over the past few years, attendance at the museum has continued to increase. However, providing adequate space for visitors and exhibits are been a problem.
“This renowned cultural institution is a victim of its own success,” Marshall said. “Its appeal and audiences are so fabulous that more space is needed to accommodate the growing number of exhibits and visitors.”
Throughout her time in office, Marshall has made four significant contributions to the museum’s expansion project totaling nearly $16 million. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Council have all made significant contributions to the project in order to make the expansion possible.
The museum still needs to raise $3.5 million for the project, but it is confident it will be able to do so. The team of Grimshaw Architects/Ammann & Whitney is designing the project, and it hopes to complete the project in 2009.