Campaign Highlights

NEW GALLERY SPACE

LRMA has outgrown its current lecture hall, and an L-shaped gallery addition will meet the need for a larger, more versatile space for lectures, concerts, performances, films, education programs, and other activities.  Equipped with the latest audiovisual technology, the space will double our current seating capacity and will provide additional areas for exhibiting works in the LRMA collection.

STATE-OF-THE-ART COLLECTIONS STORAGE

The museum’s current collections storage area, built in 1925, has outlived its time, creating an urgent need for new, up-to-date storage for the museum’s artistic treasures.  The new storage vault will double the museum’s existing collections storage capacity and will provide storage for two- and three-dimensional artwork.  The addition will enable LRMA to continue to add works to the permanent collection, allowing it to grow and evolve throughout the 21st century.

IMPROVED SHIPPING & RECEIVING

Traveling exhibitions often arrive in 18-wheeled vehicles, packed in expensive, custom-built crates that must be stored in a regulated environment for the duration of the show.  The expansion of the museum’s loading dock and shipping and receiving area will enable LRMA to receive, unpack, and store exhibition crates in a secure, climate-controlled environment.  These changes will have a major impact on the quality of exhibitions the museum presents.

ENDOWMENT

Recognizing that increasing the size of the museum will lead to increased operating expenses, LRMA will raise $1.5 million in additional endowment funds.  The income from these funds will provide a stable source of funding for future operating costs and also provide a stable source of income for the museum’s education outreach program.

IMPACT OF THE PROJECT

This $5 million campaign, $3.5 million for the addition and $1.5 million for the endowment, will frame the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art for a vibrant future.  By safeguarding its collection of artistic treasures, presenting exhibitions by the world’s most renowned artists, and engaging the children and families of our region through high quality programs and activities, LRMA will continue to provide cultural leadership in Mississippi and the South.