West End Museum 2014 Annual Appeal In Full Swing
The 2014 West End Museum Annual Appeal was launched at the October 18th Dance Party and has thus far raised over $30,000 toward our goal of $50,000. We would like to thank all those who donated and ask that anyone who has not please consider making a contribution – every little bit helps!
2013 has been another year of significant growth and expansion for the West End Museum. This year alone, the Museum mounted three major exhibits in our large exhibition area, as well as four exhibits in our Members’ Gallery. In June, we began to upgrade our permanent exhibit, the Last Tenement, starting with a new map of the West End depicting the neighborhood just prior to its subsequent demolition through urban renewal. The map was created from six sections of the 1938 Boston Bromley Street Atlas courtesy of the Boston Public Library, and is the most comprehensive map available of the Old West End.
June also brought us a visit from an unexpected guest, Leonard Nimoy, who grew up on Chambers Street (now Cardinal O’Connell Way). Mr. Nimoy brought his son Adam who filmed him for four hours telling stories of the old neighborhood including his father’s barbershop, family life, and the cantor, Tabachnick.
The Museum has also been actively increasing its programming diversity. Talks, tours and films are now part of the Museum’s regular programming. We recently celebrated our fourth year of Italian Heritage month with a film festival and honoree night and we participated in the 33rd International Conference on Jewish Genealogy by hosting a talk on the History of the Boston Synagogue, accompanied by a tour.
The Museum’s archives continue to gain recognition beyond our neighborhood borders. This year, five books were published that included images, photographs and stories from our collection. We also archived and digitized all 28 years of the West Ender Newsletter and will be working with Jim Campano to publish our own book in the not too distant future.
While exciting, this past year’s expansion in exhibits, programming and increased visitation has placed a great deal of strain on our facility. To assist in carrying the museum into the future and preserve the West End legacy, we need to develop reserves along with an endowment. These assets will assist with multiple needs, from replacing carpeting, blinds, lighting fixtures and upgrading our audio-visual equipment, to implementing new exhibits, events and various other endeavors that we hope to pursue in 2014 and beyond. Thus, in order to sustain the Museum’s current momentum, we are requesting your assistance.
We have a fundraising goal of $50,000 for our inaugural appeal. Any amount, large or small, that you can donate will help to ensure that the Museum can continue to provide a rich experience to the West End community as well as the city of Boston. Your donation is critical, not only with assisting the Museum in providing fresh programming, but especially in keeping the Museum and its mission alive. You can send your tax deductible donation by mail to: The West End Museum, 150 Staniford Street, Suite 7, Boston MA 02114. You may also donate online at: https://thewestendmuseum.org/support/donate.
We’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this message and hope that you will consider giving. The West End Museum is a vital resource in preserving the history and culture of the West End of Boston. Again, we’d like to thank you in advance for your support and wish you the very best in the coming holiday season.