by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens received its largest cash gift ever when the Eagle Foundation Inc. donated $5 million to the museum last week.
Cummer Museum Director Maarten van de Guchte said he could not disclose the people from the Foundation who made the gift possible, but he added the donor has long-standing ties to the museum. Documents filed by the organization, however, reveal Minerva and Raymond Mason of Orange Park and their daughters as the foundation’s officers.
“I was very much taken aback in a pleasant way. It was a nice surprise,” he said. “You always hope a local foundation will donate a generous gift like this.”
The museum’s newest and largest gallery, the Central Gallery, will be dedicated to the Eagle Foundation’s benefactors.
“It is always our goal to approach someone to use his or her name,” said van de Guchte. “When we open the gallery doors for the first time, the name of the gallery will be revealed.”
The new gallery has 18-foot ceilings and three large floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the Cummer’s Italian gardens. Currently, the museum is preparing the gallery for the Dec. 21 premiere of “Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum.” The exhibit officially opens Dec. 22.
Van de Guchte believes both the attraction and the appeal of the Central Gallery were a few of the reasons why the Foundation chose to donate to the Cummer.
“A gift of this size and magnitude is often based on a long history of affinity with the museum,” he said. “Obviously, the Eagle Foundation shares the mission and goals of the Cummer Museum.”
The Cummer found out about the gift about two weeks ago, but it took some time to get all of the documents approved and signed. On Dec. 7, the museum received all of the papers to make it official.
Van de Guchte said this gift enables the museum to grow even further in the future.
“The money will go to construction and expansion plans,” he said.
Van de Guchte looks at the donation as a gift to the museum and the Jacksonville community.
“This really is marvelous,” he said. “It gives us the opportunity to serve the people of Jacksonville even better. Everyone will benefit from this.”
The museum hopes to continue to add more state-of-the-art gallery space and bring in more exhibitions like “Temples and Tombs.”
“This large gift indicates the level of support for the Cummer Museum in the community,” said van de Guchte. “It is the staff and Board members responsibility to serve the community first and foremost.”