Cummer gives free membership to elementary students

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens today announced that it has partnered with Duval County Public Schools to provide free Family-level memberships to 5,800 fifth-grade students enrolled in the district’s Title 1 elementary schools, following the successful completion of the Family 2 Family Membership Match — the Museum’s signature access initiative for 2019.

From April through September, the Museum adopted a buy-one-give-one model for all new or renewing Family memberships. Funds to support the initiative were secured through a combination of memberships, private donations and generous support from Florida Blue.

Vouchers for the free memberships will be distributed by principals and teachers at the following district schools by Friday, Dec. 6: Abess Park Elementary; Andrew A. Robinson Elementary; Annie R. Morgan Elementary; Arlington Elementary; Arlington Heights Elementary; Bayview Elementary; Beauclerc Elementary; Biltmore Elementary; Biscayne Elementary; Brentwood Elementary; Brookview Elementary; Carter G. Woodson Elementary; Cedar Hills Elementary; Central Riverside Elementary; Chimney Lakes Elementary; Crown Point Elementary; Crystal Springs Elementary; Dinsmore Elementary; Don Brewer Elementary; Englewood Elementary; Enterprise Learning Academy; Fort Caroline Elementary; Garden City Elementary; George W. Carver Elementary; Greenfield Elementary; Gregory Drive Elementary; Henry F. Kite Elementary; Highlands Elementary; Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary; Holiday Hill Elementary; Hyde Park Elementary; Jacksonville Heights Elementary; John E. Ford K-8 School; Kings Trail Elementary; Lake Lucina Elementary; Lone Star Elementary; Long Branch Elementary; Love Grove Elementary; Mamie Agnes Jones Elementary; Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary; Mayport Elementary; Mt. Herman Exceptional Student Center; Normandy Village Elementary; North Shore Elementary; Oak Hill Academy; Oceanway Elementary; Ortega Elementary; Parkwood Heights Elementary; Pickett Elementary; Pine Estates Elementary; Pinedale Elementary; R.L. Brown Gifted and Talented Academy; R.V. Daniels Elementary; Ramona Elementary; Reynolds Lane Elementary; Rufus E. Payne Elementary; Ruth N. Upson Elementary; Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary; S.A. Hull Elementary; Sadie T. Tillis Elementary; Sallye B. Mathis Elementary; San Jose Elementary; Southside Estates Elementary; Spring Park Elementary; St. Clair Evans Academy; Stonewall Jackson Elementary; Susie E. Tolbert Elementary; Thomas Jefferson Elementary; Timucuan Elementary; West Riverside Elementary; Westview K-8 School; Whitehouse Elementary; Windy Hill Elementary & Woodland Acres Elementary.

“Access initiatives like Family 2 Family are critical to our mission of engaging and inspiring through the arts, gardens and education,” said Adam Levine, George W. and Kathleen I. Gibbs Director & Chief Executive Officer of the Cummer Museum.  “I am deeply grateful to the donors and community partners who played a role in funding Family 2 Family. As a result of their generosity, thousands of families will have the opportunity to create new, meaningful connections with art, nature and, most importantly, each other.”

Members of the Museum enjoy numerous benefits, including exclusive exhibition openings; special invitations to programs and events; a quarterly digital newsletter; discounted admission to concerts, lectures, garden programs, art camps and classes; a 10% discount at the Cummer Shop and Cummer Café; free admission to more than 150 Southeast Reciprocal Museums; reciprocal membership to over 1,000 institutions through the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program; and reciprocal membership to nearly 300 gardens through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Program.

“Whether it’s taking a walk, through Renaissance history or beholding an ancient Egyptian sculpture, these are experiences that all children should have as they blossom into well-rounded and cultured individuals,” said Dr. Diana Greene, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools. “I am proud to serve alongside the Cummer Museum and other community partners as we work through the invaluable Family 2 Family program to make sure these experiences are accessible to all of our children.”

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission

Cummer Museum launches ‘Family 2 Family’ membership match promo

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens today announced the launch of the Family 2 Family Membership Match promotion.  For every $100 donated to the Museum as part of a membership purchase or upgrade through September 30, the Museum will give a Museum membership to the family of a current fourth-grade Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) student.

The promotion builds upon the Museum’s long-standing partnership with DCPS.  During the 2018-2019 school year, thousands of DCPS students visited the Museum or participated in art education experiences through outreach programs, including more than 800 fourth-grade students who were provided a free tour of the Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman exhibition.

The Museum’s goal for the Family 2 Family promotion is to secure 5,500 memberships to provide all current fourth-grade students with a free Family-level membership.  Adam Levine, the Cummer Museum’s George W. and Kathleen I.  Gibbs Director & Chief Executive Officer, sees the promotion as a way to ensure these students can come back to the Museum with their families without restriction, whether to experience a special exhibition or enjoy playing in the reconstructed gardens.

“Visiting art museums at a young age is an important and valuable educational experience, but the impact of art museums on learning and development increases substantially when people come back,” said Levine.  “When you remove barriers to entry, people visit museums.  Family 2 Family is about this community coming together to provide access to the highest quality arts, gardens and programming.  I can think of no fuller embodiment of Ninah Cummer’s vision to create ‘a center of beauty and culture for all of Jacksonville.’”

The Museum will work with DCPS to distribute vouchers for free Museum memberships to students and their families during the 2019-2020 school year.  “We are so thankful to community partners like the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens that play such a vital role in enriching the educational and cultural experiences of our students,” said Dr. Diana Greene, superintendent of Duval County Public Schools.  “Through the Cummer’s Family 2 Family promotion, learning in art, history, and social studies will be brought to life for our students and their families as they enjoy even greater access to the museum.”

Family-level memberships cost $100 and include free admission for a year for two adults and children or grandchildren under the age of 18.  Additional benefits include exclusive exhibition openings; special invitations to programs and events; a quarterly digital newsletter; discount admission for concerts, lectures, garden programs, art camps and classes; a 10% discount at the Cummer Shop and Cummer Café; free admission to more than 150 Southeast Reciprocal Museums; reciprocal membership to over 1,000 institutions through the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program; and reciprocal membership to nearly 300 gardens through the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Program.

Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
   829 Riverside Avenue
   Jacksonville, Florida 32204
   (904) 356-6857
   Hours of Operation & Admission