We're working with Vermont Integrated Architecture to build the first structure in Vermont using innovative mass timber techniques.
March 21, 2021| Categories: Fairbanks Museum, Fundraising
With your help, we’ll meet the needs of today and tomorrow while preserving the timeless character of the Fairbanks Museum. Your support now will be matched 1:1 by a generous donor! Please help us meet our $25k goal before April 30!
Here’s what the Inspire Campaign for the Fairbanks Museum will accomplish:
Tang Science Annex
We’re installing a 6000-square foot, three-story addition to the Museum’s courtyard. The Annex will be Vermont’s first mass timber structure, made with an innovative and sustainable laminated timber technique. The design is a stunning compliment to the intricate woodwork of the main gallery. The addition will house two galleries with hands-on earth and atmospheric science exhibits, while the balcony will focus on astronomy. Everything about the Science Annex will inspire generations of learners!
Preservation
The Inspire Campaign is not just about what’s new. We’re taking care of the precious building that Franklin Fairbanks gifted to this community over a century ago. The elements have taken their toll, so with an eye toward ensuring another century for our building, we’re undertaking an extensive restoration in 2021. This includes work on both towers and re-pointing the masonry walls. It’s a labor of love.
Accessibility
The Tang Science Annex will create inviting classroom and exhibit space.
The Fairbanks Museum is a masterpiece of Victorian architecture, but it has challenges. The Science Annex makes all floors of the Museum – from the balcony to the basement – accessible to everyone. In developing the Science Annex, we found an educational partner in the Community College of Vermont. CCV’s programs in STEM education, environmental studies and early childhood education lend themselves to endless partnership opportunities. CCV’s St. Johnsbury location will move to the Science Annex in early 2022.
Endowment and Planned Giving
In addition to facility improvements, we’re dedicating funds for lasting access to our vibrant programs and facilities. Long-term, sustainable funding is an investment in our community, our children and our future.
Specific endowment funds will support the Fairbanks Museum’s core activities: education, exhibits, weather/climate, collections, planetarium, facilities, and leadership.
Your generosity through current gifts and planned giving commitments ensures that the Museum will thrive long into the future.
Inspire Campaign: How You Can Help
The Fairbanks Museum has been working on the Inspire Campaign since 2018. Through the generosity of many donors, we’ve raised $4.2 million (93%) of our $4.5 million goal. We’re so close, and that’s where you come in.
Your gift now will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous donor who has challenged us to reach $25,000.
All donations over $500 will be recognized with you name carved into the donor bench. The bench runs the length ofthe Science Annex’s main gallery, and will be admired by visitors for decades.