Morley Builders contribute to Historical Society Museum
DOWNTOWN The Santa Monica Historical Society Museum is now a member of the millionaire’s club, thanks to a record $250,000 donation.
The donation from local commercial construction firm Morley Builders marks the single-largest contribution to the museum’s capital campaign to date, pushing the total raised to more than $1 million. The goal is to raise $2 million, all of which will go towards creating a permanent home for the museum at the Main Library complex, museum officials said.
The donation will support the Morley Builders Research Library in the new, state-of-the-art museum, and allow for multiple uses of that library. The dream is to make the museum a “hub of ongoing activity” that will provide a “hands-on, discover-and-explore environment” for programming, workshops and events, as well as serve as a research center, said Louise Gabriel, president and CEO of the museum.
“Morley Builders is the gold standard of corporate involvement in the community,” Gabriel said. “Morley Builders’ support of the museum’s new permanent home is particularly appropriate because it built the Santa Monica Public Main Library, within which the new museum is located.”
Southern California has been home to the Morley Builders for more than 60 years, museum officials said. The company has, since its earliest years, given back to the community, especially through its support of programs the improve the quality of life for all who live and work here.
In addition to the Main Library, Morley has also been involved in the Getty Villa Project, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles and the restoration of UCLA’s Royce Hall.
The new Santa Monica museum provides many naming opportunities for major gifts that will be permanently recognized within the museum. Benefactors can choose to support interactive exhibits and theme areas in the permanent gallery, the changing exhibit gallery and the lobby.
Founded in 1975 under the city of Santa Monica Centennial Committee, the non-profit museum has been operating in various temporary venues and is currently located at 1539 Euclid St. In Spring 2008, the museum will be relocating to the new facility at the Main Library complex, museum officials said.
“We are in the process of getting a construction permit and retaining bids for construction,” said Jean McNeil Wyner, chair of the museum’s board of directors. “We plan to have four interactive exhibits that will be fabulous for children, and we will also have a timeline that will be right in the middle of the space.
“This is very exciting for us and for those families and individual donors who have contributed.”
The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve and make accessible the rich history, art and culture of the Santa Monica Bay Area.
Through the advancement of historical information, educational programming and the preservation of its archival collections and historical objects, the museum aims to give residents a sense of roots, belonging and an appreciation for the unique qualities of their city, and to instill a sense of pride in the diverse, multi-cultural past of Santa Monica.
The museum’s goal is to provide public access to its extensive collections through interpretive exhibitions, on-and off-site programs, and through archival research services for youths and adults.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 21, 2007. Read the original PDF.