If you’ve been following the progress of our campaign on Indiegogo, you are aware of the work our Trust has done, gifting over 40 examples of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Cypriot and Near Eastern art to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, the University of Missouri at Kansas City Classical Studies Program, and the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, North Carolina. But all the antiquities set aside in 2010 for gifting have now been disbursed, and with the demands of Clio Ancient Art and family, we can no longer fund the Trust entirely out of pocket. Hence, the phenomenon of “crowdfunding”, using the Indiegogo website ( http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220 ).
Here is the Campaign’s Indiegogo web page: http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220. It includes:
* Detailed descriptions of what the Trust does and why, what it has accomplished so far, and plans for the future.
* Periodic updates.
* Short video appeal.
* Photo gallery of every antiquity the Trust has gifted to date.
* Descriptions of “perks” we’re offering to donors at various levels.
All funds will be directed toward acquiring and dispersing appropriate examples of ancient art to carefully selected public museums and university collections. The Trust is not a registered non-profit, tax exempt. Gifts are not tax deductible. For some donors this may mean it makes more sense to give a modest gift of $30-50, rather than a large gift. We accept gifts of any amount in US, Canadian, Australian and UK currencies. Only 2 donors have so far claimed their ancient Roman coin “perks” so we have plenty of these left if you wish to donate $30 or more (31 Canadian Dollars or 19 British Pounds).
Please visit the Trust’s page on Indiegogo, read through it, view the objects we’ve gifted, watch the short video. No doubt you will find this effort worthy of a contribution.
Meanwhile, a few exciting developments to share with you –
* We are in discussions with the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC about initiating a temporary gallery of ancient Mediterranean art sometime next year. This would utilize the Mint’s existing collection of antiquities (long hidden in storage and never shared with the public), gifts from our own Clio Ancient Art, and from private owners. As the Trust has now gifted all its holdings and is working to acquire more (part of the idea behind this campaign), Clio will offer several high quality items for display in this exhibit, part of a 1-year loan.
* We have completed the process of working with the Mint Museum to properly classify and catalog the 120 or so antiquities so long hidden in their basement, allowing us to assist them in possibly purging the collection of less display-worthy items.
* We have identified a source for several quality Trust acquisitions for next year. Once this campaign has ended we will share more details on this point with donors to the campaign.
* Finally, curatorial staff at the Mint Museum continue to share their enthusiasm for the 14th Century Medieval English floor tile gifted to them by the Trust last month. They recognize it as an important addition, filling a major gap in their extensive holdings of English ceramic materials.
Thanks again to everyone who has made a gift so far. Your perks will mail out the last week of September. And please continue to share information about our campaign to all who might be interested, at http://igg.me/at/Ancient-Art-Education-for-All/x/4074220
Chris M. Maupin
Clio Ancient Art and Antiquities
Chris Maupin Trust for Ancient Art
http://www.clioancientart.com/
Roman limestone figure of a partially draped youth with pomegranate and bird, 1st-2nd Century, gifted to the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, CA, May, 2012 |