The Mexican Museum Named Grantee of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts Innovation and Management Program

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 24, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) The Mexican Museum, the premier West Coast museum of Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano, Latin American, and Latino art, culture and heritage, today announced that it is a grantee recipient of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program. Through the two-year initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies is providing $30 million across 262 small and mid-sized nonprofit cultural organizations around the country to help strengthen their operational and programming efforts, including training in fundraising, audience development and board member engagement.

"We are extremely grateful to be a recipient of this generous grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts Innovation and Management program," said Andrew M. Kluger, Chairman of Board of The Mexican Museum. "Not only will this support our ongoing development efforts, but it will also enable us to more expansively communicate our vision of a new museum home throughout the region. This new facility for The Mexican Museum will allow us to display more of our extensive art collections and serve as a cultural nexus, where people from all walks of life can learn about and celebrate Latino art, history, and heritage."

The invitation-only program supports nonprofit cultural organizations based in six cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles and San Francisco. All organizations are locally or internationally recognized nonprofits that have been in existence for at least two years. The grantees are required to participate in a management-training program; secure matching funds; ensure 100% board participation in fundraising; and maintain up-to-date information in the Cultural Data Project, an online financial & data collection platform that assists arts organizations across the country to collect, learn from, and use data effectively. The grants are unrestricted so that recipients can use them to address their greatest needs.

The Mexican Museum will use the grant to support its ongoing public outreach efforts and development initiatives, including the addition of staff; to produce collateral materials to engage local communities; and to identify and promote gallery-naming opportunities for the future home of the museum at 706 Mission Street in the heart of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens Art District.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is partnering with the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland to develop curricula and conduct trainings for the AIM program in each city. The comprehensive workshops engage organizations around activities that strengthen their long-term health and goals and include consultations and implementation support for arts managers and their boards.

First piloted in New York City, Bloomberg Philanthropies supported 245 grantees through AIM from 2011-2013. Participating organizations reported improvements in audience development, board engagement and fundraising over the two-year program.

About The Mexican Museum

Founded by the well-known San Francisco artist Peter Rodriguez in 1975 in the heart of the Mission District, The Mexican Museum is located at Fort Mason Center. It is the realization of his vision to present the aesthetic expression of the Mexican and Mexican American people. Today, the museum's vision has expanded to include the full scope of the Mexican, Chicano and Latino experience - including the arts, history and heritage of their respective cultures

In 2012, The Mexican Museum became an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum and research complex. The Museum joins over 200 organizations in 45 states, Puerto Rico and Panama that are in association with the Smithsonian. The Mexican Museum currently has a permanent collection of more than 16,500 objects reflecting Pre-Hispanic, Colonial, Popular, Modern and Contemporary Mexican, Mexican-American, Latin American, Latino, and Chicano art.

The Mexican Museum is open Thursday - Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., located at the Fort Mason Center, Building D, Marina Boulevard and Buchanan Street, in San Francisco. Admission is FREE. The Museum offers a wide variety of programs, including Family Sundays, exhibitions, special events, lectures, and public programming throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit: http://www.mexicanmuseum.org or call (415) 202-9700.

The Mexican Museum is currently preparing for the construction of its permanent home, which is expected to open in 2018. People are encouraged to support The Mexican Museum by becoming new members, or by joining the Builder's Society online or by mailing a check to: The Mexican Museum, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building D, San Francisco, CA 94123. For more information on the Builder's Society, please contact Adriana Lopez at (415) 202-9700.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies works to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. We focus on five key areas for creating lasting change: arts, education, the environment, government innovation, and public health. The arts are a valuable way to engage citizens and enhance communities. Through innovative partnerships and bold approaches, the Bloomberg Philanthropies arts program works to increase access to culture using new technologies, empower artists and strengthen cultural organizations to reach broader audiences. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.

About the DeVos Institute of Arts Management

The DeVos Institute has served more than 1,000 organizations from over 80 countries since Michael M. Kaiser founded it during his tenure as President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The Institute has designed its services to assist a wide range of institutions, from traditional performing and presenting organizations, museums and galleries, arts schools and libraries, to botanical gardens, glass-making studios, public art trusts, and non-profit cinemas, to name a few. The DeVos Institute transferred its activities and offices from the Kennedy Center to the University of Maryland in September 2014. The move enables the Institute to expand its global training and consulting programs, enhance its fellowships for North American and international arts managers within the context of a major educational institution, and create a Master's program that leverages both University and Institute resources.

Victoria Sanchez De Alba De Alba Communications (650) 270-7810 Or Rebecca Carriero Arts Program Bloomberg Philanthropies