Since opening in 1998, the Mennello Museum of American Art has enriched the public through art, exhibitions, education, and events that celebrate the diversity of American Art and the Central Florida community.
The Mennello Museum is now poised to begin an exciting, new trajectory where big, innovative ideas are embraced and a visionary expansion will yield boundless potential for its future.
Learn everything about our exciting plans for the future—
Expansion Project
- 40,000 square-foot museum facility integrated around the current 12,000 square-foot museum building
- Increase number and quality of programs, opportunities, and amenities to better serve our growing audiences
- Create a cultural destination on beautiful Lake Formosa designed to preserve and reimagine our green space, the intimacy of the Dr. Phillips Home, walking and bike paths, and sculpture garden
Project Use
- Welcoming and inclusive space for the highest caliber of exhibitions and programs to best attract audiences
- Share permanent collection of American Art from multiple collections and donors with broad audiences
- Expand family-friendly and diverse art education programs to serve the community
- Multi-purpose spaces for earned income; events, weddings, classrooms, and conference room
- Ability to seat 250 and accommodate 400+ for standing indoor & outdoor events
- Attract larger audience through new branded tourism efforts
- Greater impact in the art and economic prosperity of the region
Project Cost
- $20 million
Project Vision
The Mennello Museum’s design is both futuristic and timeless. The design mirrors the objective of the artwork inside: It tells a story and furthers the Museum’s mission to be a place of education, culture, and inspiration.
More than just a building, it is a civic place for social interaction, bringing people closer to art, each other and to nature, providing opportunity for new, immersive, art experiences.
The building is organized as a series of highly engaging spaces where the Museum’s mission of using art to connect people to the world around them can unfold.
We envision a new sustainable icon for Central Florida, creating a place that merges art, architecture, nature, and people, telling the story of Orlando and Orange County’s rich and diverse communities.
This initiative will grow the museum’s programming space for community engagement, and further develop our tourism and marketing efforts, offerings, and impact.
Advance a thriving arts community that significantly impacts quality of life.
For almost 21 years, the Mennello Museum of American Art (MMAA) has enriched the public through exhibitions, educational programs, events, and publications that celebrate the diversity of American Art. MMAA seeks to attract leading American artists and originate thought-provoking exhibitions that challenge our perspectives; to share works of relevance, value, and acclaim with our local community and visitors. The museum works to advance its service excellence to the Central Florida community through its permanent collection of American Art, its collection of Earl Cunningham, rotating exhibitions, and high-caliber education programs.
Imagine the new MMAA in its 40,000 square foot home on beautiful Lake Formosa designed to preserve our green space and the intimacy of the historic Dr. Phillips Home. Envision the MMAA as a state of the art facility with sculptural gardens that merge architecture and nature to create an inclusive and welcoming multi-faceted cultural experience for all to enjoy year-round.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
- Expanded exhibition galleries for noted temporary, rotating, and traveling exhibitions, ability to secure world-class art and exhibitions while generating original content.
- Appropriate gallery space to present permanent collections of prominent American art and gifts of future collections of art that advance the significance, depth, and breadth of the Museum’s holdings.
- New light-filled education spaces: classrooms, studios, workshops, lecture space, places for play and pause.
- Opportunity for earned income: new multi-use rental spaces: conference & business meeting rooms, classrooms, and premiere wedding spaces (indoor & outdoor with professional catering kitchen).
- Museum-grade storage, vault, and installation preparation spaces to properly care for works of art and steward our collection.
- State of the art museum facility and iconic cultural destination designed by the globally recognized Brooks & Scarpa Architects, in partnership with award-winning KMF Architects.
BUILDING OUR FUTURE: Capital Campaign Committee
Mayor Buddy Dyer
Honorary Chair
Laura Cosgrove
Co-Chair
Sharon Line Clary
Sam Azar
Frank Billingsley
Sarah Grafton
Walter A. Ketcham, Jr.
Dr. Manuel Perez
Ross Silverbach
Shannon Fitzgerald
Executive Director
Genean McKinnon
Kim Strong
Consultants, McKinnon|Strong LLC
We are grateful to our generous BUILDING OUR FUTURE Capital Campaign donors. You are investing in the museum’s future to make the museum as great as our ambitions, enabling us to be a more responsive institution to the needs of Central Florida and beyond.
$5,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,00
$500,000
$250,000
$100,000
$75,000
$50,000
$25,000
Vanessa & Walter A. Ketcham, Jr.
$20,000
Mrs. Destiny & Dr. Manuel Perez
$10,000
Janet & Jim Southall
Laura & Mark Cosgrove
Kimberlee & Robert Strong
Genean & Joel McKinnon
$5,000–9,999
$2,500–4,999
$1,000–2,499
Up to $999
Mission (Why we exist)
The Mennello Museum of American Art strives to enrich the public through exhibitions, education, programs, and publications that celebrate the diversity of American Art.
Vision (The impact we strive to have)
The vision of the Mennello Museum of American Art is to be a distinguished and thriving institution that will build on its City of Orlando base of support through strong board and community relationships resulting in an improved operating environment and a reputation for being a local and national treasure.
Values (Core beliefs that guide our conduct)
Quality. We believe the City of Orlando deserves only the best; we aim to excel at everything we do.
Accessibility. We believe in creating a welcoming space and experience for all; we are friendly, welcome diversity, and are inclusive of all.
Curiosity. We never stop learning or thinking; we continually push boundaries and explore new ideas and strive to remain relevant and provide meaningful experiences.
Collaboration. We believe community partners are essential to mutual success; we work to build relationships and co-create with individuals and organizations.
Stewardship. The Museum will serve in perpetuity; to ensure this, we build and care for our collections, make smart use of our financial resources, and continually invest in our future.
Accountability. We exist to benefit the community with our commitment to the legacy of our founders; we demonstrate our success and value to the residents of Orlando and our visitors.
Outright Gifts to the Campaign
Contributions may be paid by cash, check, or credit card. Checks should be made payable to the Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art.
Pledges
Pledges enable you to plan a personal giving program that is both convenient and tax-wise. A pledge may allow you to consider a more significant gift than would have otherwise been possible. Pledges to Building our Future: Capital Campaign is payable over five years.
Publicly Traded Securities
Securities may be made as outright gifts or as a payment on a pledge. The mean market value on the date of the transfer will determine the value of the gift for tax purposes. Gifts of appreciated securities may be tax deductible for up to 30 percent of your adjusted gross income.
Gifts of Other Assets
Gifts to Mennello Museum can come in the form of other assets as well. For example, you may wish to consider gifts of closely held stock, tangible personal property (jewelry, art, antiques, equipment, etc.), or real estate. All gifts of tangible personal property with a substantial value must be saleable and the donor must agree the property can be sold.
Planned Giving
Planned Giving allows for a variety of opportunities to support the mission of the Mennello Museum of American Art long into the future. These tax-deductible donations may take the form of pledges, donations of securities, IRA charitable rollovers, tangible personal property and real estate, as well as bequests and other types of planned giving, adding your legacy to the future of the Mennello Museum. Planned gifts provide an opportunity to structure long-term deferred gifts in ways that are beneficial both to you and to the museum.
Matching Gifts
Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees. Mennello Museum is honored to accept matching gifts.
Contact us about specific Naming Opportunities.
Contact
Please contact Kim Strong, Fundraising Consultant, McKinnon | Strong at (407) 619-1711 for any questions about giving to the BUILDING OUR FUTURE: Capital Campaign.
Please consult your tax and legal advisors before making a charitable gift.
The Friends of the Mennello Museum of American Art is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is fully tax-deductible and no goods or services are provided in exchange for financial contribution.