Following a $50,000 gift from the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation, the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art has exceeded the $700,000 mark in their capital fund drive. Referred to as A Campaign for the Future, the drive began in 2020 to ensure the museum will continue to prosper moving forward.
Horn Foundation Executive Director Kathryn Crowe was excited to present the campaign’s request to the foundation’s board.
“I asked myself and the board where we could be without the museum and we answered that question by providing support for the campaign,” she said. “We appreciate the work that is done by the OMFA and we know it is a great asset to Owensboro.”
The Horn Foundation has provided financial support to the OMFA for more than a decade. This one-time gift exceeds their annual contribution to Artland, the Museum’s free children’s art studio which offers several activities throughout the year.
The museum has aspirations of raising $2 million, a third of which will re-establish its endowment fund for daily operation.
OMFA was established in 1977 as a small community art museum and through the patronage of local, regional and national supporters has grown into the second-largest art museum in Kentucky. Notable expansions include the addition of a permanent collection wing and the acquisition of the John Hampden Smith House and the former Carnegie Library, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Sites.
The campaign team is led by museum board chair Dr. James F. Naas with support from Campaign Cabinet including former City Commissioner Pam Smith-Wright; US Bank Executive Vice President Kathryn Raymer; OMFA Chairmen Emeritus Dr. R. Wathen Medley, Jr. and B. Dean Stanley; Ameriprise Financial Advisor Drew Watson; Jeff Danhauer, Danhauer Drugs; and former Owensboroans, Gail Reisz Branch and H. Dean Jones II.
Admission to the museum is free. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Friday from 12-5 p.m. and from 1-4 p.m. on weekends.
OMFA also recently launched a new website courtesy of a donation from Dr. R. Wathen Medley, Jr. that significantly increases their online presence. The site, omfa.us, features current and future exhibitions, educational opportunities, community programming, permanent collection, publications program, virtual gallery tours and offsite community services.
