Block 62 Project
New Freeport Art Museum building shown from the corner of Exchange and State Streets
About the Project:
Welcome to the future home of the Freeport Art Museum located at the corner of Exchange and State Streets in the heart of downtown Freeport, Illinois. This much anticipated move will place the museum on the same city block as the newly developed Arts Plaza and will create a dynamic cultural campus with its proximity to the public library, the Lincoln-Douglas Debate square and Union Dairy.
FAM staff and board of directors recently selected Winter Design and Construction to provide the design and build of the project. The concept images shown throughout this page were created by Winter Design and were prepared to provide examples of the potential use of the space.
“Art is not a luxury.
Art is a precondition to success”
Progress Towards the Fundraising Goal
The overall fundraising goal the for the entire project is estimated to be $3,300,000. We have already reached our first milestone of $1,000,000 between gifts and grants. This allows us to begin work on the interior of the building such as removing the false ceiling on the second level to reveal the original bowstring trusses.
Location, location, location
The name of our project stems from its location on Freeport City block 62. The building occupies the entire lot 5 and when coupled with the Arts Plaza, the Freeport Art Museum now owns roughly three-quarters of the entire block 62.
ample space
The site offers over 14,000 square feet for exhibitions, classroom, storage, and administrative spaces. It has a large elevator and an associated parking lot. Our approach to the building’s renovation is to reveal its historic characteristics.
adaptive reuse
Block 62 is an adaptive reuse project, which refers to utilizing existing buildings in new ways. This is an attractive alternative to new construction in terms of sustainability and can add to the sense of community pride by preserving a historic space.
Ways to Give
The Freeport Art Museum offers donors several giving platforms and options for participation. Donations of cash, in-kind goods or services, or a combination of the two are gratefully accepted.
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Support the campaign with a direct monetary gift.
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Make a long-term impact by donating appreciated stock. Contact Jessica Modica via email at jmodica@freeportartmueum.org to receive the necessary bank instructions.
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Named gift opportunities are available for donations of $50,000 or more.
1st Level Main gallery - $250,000
1st Level Multi-purpose Room - $250,000 Reserved
1st Level Classroom - $250,000
2nd Level Main gallery -$250,000
2nd Level spotlight gallery -$250,000
smArt After School program -$100,000
2nd Level Conference Room - $100,000 Reserved
Annual Juried Exhibtion $50,000
Aspiring Artists Exhibition $50,000
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Multi-year pledges are gratefully accepted for gifts of $15,000 and above.
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Interested in ways to double your impact? Matching grants, often referred to as challenge grants are a great way to encourage additional gifts towards the project. FAM is actively seeking challenge grants and gratefully accepts introductory matching gifts in the amount of $15,000 or more.
The museum will list open challenge grants here so check back frequently for updates!
If you are interested in starting a matching gift, please contact Jessica Modica directly at 815.801.9759 or via email at jmodica@freeportartmuseum.org
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The Freeport Art Museum, and the new building project, meets the eligibility for a Qualified Charitable Donations, or QCDs.
This means if you’re taking an RMD (required minimum distribution) you may be able to streamline the process and employ a tax-mitigation strategy by having your RMD distributed directly to the Freeport Art Museum.
Make sure to ask your wealth advisor or IRA representative for more information!