3/13/01
Nancy P. Herholdt, commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, today announced that the Verizon Foundation has made a $25,000 grant to The West Virginia State Museum Board, Incorporated, toward the project to renovate the West Virginia State Museum. The gift brings the total raised for the campaign to nearly $1.16 million.
The West Virginia State Museum was founded in 1905 to collect and display items related to the state’s history. The Museum is now operated by the Department of Arts, Culture and History and located in the lower level of the Cultural Center in the State Capitol Complex. The history of the state will be told in the renovated museum through modern exhibits that will appeal to visitors of all ages. Currently in the final design phases, the project will be completed next year at an estimated cost of $6 million, $4 million of which was pledged by the West Virginia Legislature. The Museum Board established the Millennium Fund last year to raise funds necessary for the completion of the project.
Herholdt said, “Just as Verizon connects people through technology, the new museum will connect the threads of the state’s history. We are most grateful to the Foundation for this generous gift, which embodies Verizon’s commitment to education and the communities it serves.”
“Renovation of this great museum is long over due,” said Gale Given, president of Verizon West Virginia. “We’re proud that we can join others in helping to maintain this vital link to our state’s history and heritage.”
Verizon Foundation supports a variety of programs that focus on improving literacy, bridging the digital divide, enriching communities through technology and creating a skilled work force. The Foundation promotes partnerships in technology with organizations serving the needs of diverse communities, people with disabilities, and the economically and socially disadvantaged. The Foundation also supports a Volunteer Incentive Program and matching gifts programs for Verizon employees. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.verizon.com/foundation on the Internet.
For more information about the West Virginia State Museum renovation project, contact Herholdt at (304) 558-0220, ext. 112.
The West Virginia State Museum Board is a non-stock, non-profit corporation incorporated by the State of West Virginia in November 1999. Its purpose is to guide and support the West Virginia State Museum and to help the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History fulfill its mission. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, an agency of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. The Cultural Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. Visit the Division’s website at www.wvculture.org for more information about programs of the Division. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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