[BCMA] Donor Wall Questions

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.]

The "Honor Wall of Fame" at the brilliant City Museum in St. Louis
beautifully ignores the matter of financial values, and instead lists
significant donors in categories of appreciated practical and inspirational
support.   Created to honour the creation and start-up of the museum, it is
divided into lists of "Stars, Visionaries, Creators, Believers and
Dreamers".   The names are inscribed in a marble ceremonial wall, itself a
creation of significant beauty, financial value and permanence.   Some names
are corporate businesses and some are families or individuals.   In studying
the lists, it is immediately evident that the quality of support, the
passion for support, and a variety of types of support are being recognized;
and that the dollar value for each contributor was simply what they were
able to do from their own situation.   There was no hierarchy based on
financial wealth.   The real value of support was cleverly honoured.   This
approach tends to inspire anyone visiting to wish to contribute, no matter
what their financial ability.   Although this wall was to celebrate the
contributors at the creation of the museum, a similar approach could be used
for specific projects or exhibits.   Also in City Museum, they had a wall
collaged with small carved jade fish scribed with names for donors for a
fish exhibit, and a tree with gold foil leaves with donor names for a nature
exhibit.   Dollar value was never mentioned, just contribution.   While
visiting in the region, I met people of all stripes who were proud to have
"contributed" to the museum, feeling it was "theirs" as a result.   The high
quality of the museum experience there inspired pride in the donors.   It
was the museum itself that was important, not the visibility of being at the
top of a money list.

 

Cuyler Page

Heritage Interpretation Services

Vernon, BC

cuyler at telus.net

 

  _____  

From: bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca [mailto:bcma-bounces at lists.vifa.ca] On
Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv.
Sent: October 6, 2016 2:53 PM
To: BCMA Listserv
Subject: [BCMA] Donor Wall Questions

 

Hello BCMA,

 

We are currently redoing our donor wall and would appreciate some insight
into how other institutions have approached their donor walls. Are you
recognizing smaller individual donations and longer term corporate donations
in the same place? Do you have a minimum donation for wall recognition? We
also are having discussions about how long donors should be recognized on
our donor wall. (For the life of the exhibit? For the calendar year? For as
long as they are donating?)

 

Any and all ideas and advice are welcomed! 

 

Thank you,

 

Kathleen Bertrand | Exhibit Coordinator 

Fraser River Discovery Centre

788 Quayside Drive | New Westminster BC | V3M 6Z6

t: 604.521.8401 x 104 | f: 604.521.9401

w: fraserriverdiscovery.org

 

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