Academy Museum Edging Toward Funding Goal; Naming Rights Include Barbra Streisand Bridge, Bob Iger And Willow Bay Terrace

Patrick Hipes

27 January 2020 at 7:03 pm·3-min read

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences added more details Monday to the news relayed at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon by president David Rubin that the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached 95% of its funding goal. AMPAS said the institution has raised more than $368 million in pledges and cash, near its $388 million pre-opening campaign goal.

The Campaign for the Academy Museum was launched in 2012, headed by chair Bob Iger and co-chairs Annette Bening and Tom Hanks. Rubin gave Iger a shout-out today at the luncheon at the Ray Dolby Ballroom.

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The Academy Museum is still targeting a 2020 open date for its Mid-Wilshire District home, saying the 300,000 square-foot public and exhibition space is in its final exhibition design, build-out, and testing stages.

“The motion picture community and movie fans from around the world know how much the Academy Museum will mean for the global appreciation and enjoyment of the movies,” said newly installed director Bill Kramer on Monday in a press release. “We are deeply grateful to our donors and partners for their magnificent generosity. With this latest round of gifts, we are moving closer toward completing our pre-opening campaign and launching the world’s premier destination for movie lovers.”

The Academy said the new total encompasses naming gifts, endowments, funding for education programs and operations, and other special gifts. New and increased leadership gifts come from Barbra Streisand, East West Bank, PwC, Steve Tisch, Iger and wife Willow Bay, The Ahmanson Foundation, Cinépolis, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis, and Miky Lee/CJ Group.

Here’s what the cash will go toward, per the Academy:

Named spaces now include the Barbra Streisand Bridge, the Steve Tisch Terrace, the East West Bank Gallery, which includes the Oscars Experience, and the Bob Iger and Willow Bay Terrace. PwC has named the exhibition on Academy Awards® history, and Wendy Stark of The Fran and Ray Stark Foundation has underwritten the museum’s restaurant (details to be announced). The Ahmanson Foundation has made a significant grant toward museum construction. The Roddenberry Foundation is supporting the museum’s sustainability initiatives and naming the rideshare and school bus drop-off Roddenberry Lane.

New contributors to the Pillar Campaign, co-chaired by Laura Dern and Kimberly Steward and which names the support columns in the Saban Building, include the William S. Anderson Family, museum trustee Jason Blum, Cinépolis, Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis (in honor of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh), Tom Dolby, Gaumont, Iervolino Entertainment, S.p.A (Mr. Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi), museum trustee Regina Scully and her husband John Scully (in honor of Sophia Loren, Miyoshi Umeki, and Rita Moreno), Barbra Streisand, and ViacomCBS.

In addition, Miky Lee/CJ Group has made a general contribution to the museum, and Richard Roth and Jeff Skoll have both created named endowments at the museum; Skoll’s gift will underpin social impact programming.

‘The Board of Trustees is tremendously thankful to the individual philanthropists, foundations, and leading corporate donors who are now among the Academy Museum’s growing community of Founding Supporters,” said Ron Meyer, chair of the Academy Museum Board of Trustees and vice chariman of NBCUniversal. “It’s exciting to be so close to the goal.”

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