December 05, 2025
Securing the Addison Today
Why annual giving is the museum’s “quiet champion”This is the second in a two-part series focused on the philanthropic priorities that strengthen the Addison Gallery of American Art. This past spring, investments in the Addison’s endowment were showcased.
The layers and symbols that artists often infuse into their work offer depth far beneath the surface. So too does annual giving—hiding in plain sight yet driving so many of the Addison Gallery’s insightful exhibitions and enabling its transformative programming.
While gifts to the museum’s endowment secure long-term sustainability, yearly support provides the Addison with the flexibility it needs right now. More than 30 percent of the museum’s operating budget depends on annual donations. This proportion will remain higher than at institutions of equal renown until the museum’s endowment grows more robust.
“Current-use giving is truly our quiet champion,” says Allison Kemmerer, the Mary Stripp and R. Crosby Kemper Director. “It guarantees the dynamism our visitors expect.” These annual leadership gifts—and donations of all sizes—help make possible the eight to 10 exhibitions the museum presents every year. On view this fall, The Florida Highwaymen Painters introduces new audiences to an underappreciated chapter of American art history. Meanwhile, Family Portrait brings to life nearly two centuries of Addison-owned photography for a nuanced view of the American family experience.
None of it could occur without donors who remember the museum in their annual giving. This generosity further bolsters the Addison’s academic programs, which form an integral part of an Andover education. Universities and public schools in the Merrimack Valley and beyond also rely on this resource, as do families and patrons who embrace lifelong learning through the museum’s many free lectures, tours, and workshops.
I’ve now donated to the Addison Gallery for 10 years in a row because at Andover the arts know no boundaries. The Addison benefits not only the PA student body but also the broader cultural story of America itself on the world stage.
”Last year, more than 600 individuals and families donated to advance the Addison in this vital way. The goal for the year ahead is 650 contributors. Gifts of $100 or more are recognized with the NARM card for reciprocal museum admission nationwide, while leadership support can provide membership to the Patron’s, Curator’s, or Director’s circles, or the Founder’s-level Non Sibi Circle.
In every case, current-use giving is more than financial backing. It’s an act of stewardship—a commitment to the Addison’s excellence today.
Support the Addison Gallery at andover.edu/AddisonToday.
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