Susan Gideon Fuirst Makes Transformative Gift to Enhance Neuberger Museum of Art Education Program
Tracy Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., Director of the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, SUNY, announced today that the Museum has received a significant charitable gift from Susan and Alan Fuirst.
A portion of the Susan Gideon Fuirst Education Fund will support the development of an interactive educational space for students in the Museum’s education and conference center. The refurbishment will include furniture and supplies to create a hub for innovative learning and a makerspace in the third-floor Skylight Gallery; additional technology enhancements will be used throughout the Museum to enrich the K-12 school tours and experiences.
A majority of the fund will be endowed to support the virtual and on-site expansion of the K-12 program to better align with curriculum requirements and to enable students to learn through the lens of art. One component of this plan is a pilot program to provide physical student workbooks and teacher lesson plans that are tied to local schools’ core curricula.
A former volunteer educator at the Neuberger, Susan Gideon Fuirst said, “From my time as a museum docent, we’ve been so inspired by the Museum’s commitment to introduce children to art. Alan and I are proud to play a role in assuring that the Neuberger Museum and its educators have the resources they need to create a state-of-the-art creating and learning center for youth in the community.”
“We are truly grateful to Susan and Alan for their support,” said Dr. Fitzpatrick. “After giving so generously of her time as a docent, this gift will help sustain the Museum’s strategic education initiatives for years to come.”
“The Susan Gideon Fuirst Education Fund directly supports our vision for Purchase to serve as a center for lifelong learning,” added Dennis Craig, Interim President of Purchase College, SUNY. “We are grateful to the Fuirsts for fostering the next generation of arts lovers and enabling the Museum to broaden public access to the arts.”
The Neuberger Museum of Art opened on the campus of Purchase College, State University of New York, in 1974 with a core collection donated by Roy R. Neuberger, one of the greatest private collectors, philanthropists, and arts advocates of the twentieth century. Today, critically acclaimed exhibitions, tours, lectures, and interactive programs for patrons of all ages make the Neuberger a center of teaching and learning for all stages of life.
The Museum is located on the Purchase College, SUNY campus
735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York 10577
914.251.6100 | nma@purchase.edu | www.neuberger.org
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