MIM Receives Grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust December 20, 2016 Museum to build more space for young children PHOENIX (December 20, 2016) – The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) was recently awarded a $150,000 grant by Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to build additional museum space for young children to explore and interact with musical instruments. MIM’s current Experience Gallery occupies 2,500 square feet of space and invites guests of all ages to touch, play, and hear a changing array of musical instruments from many different cultures. The gallery is often a favorite among guests as it allows them to interact with similar instruments on display in the other galleries. The Experience Gallery Annex will allow children from kindergarten to second grade to have a space of their own with age-appropriate instruments and physical design. This new gallery space will accommodate increasing numbers of students as MIM strives to reach its goal of 100,000 school and youth tour participants by 2020. In the 2015–2016 school year alone, MIM welcomed more than 52,000 school and youth field-trip participants. “We are so grateful to Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust for the show of confidence in MIM and our commitment to child education and early age development through music,” said Dean Scheinert, MIM’s corporate and major gift officer. “Their generous grant will further MIM’s goal of welcoming 100,000 school and youth tour participants annually in the next five years.” The 1,400-square-foot annex will be repurposed from an existing space adjacent to the current Experience Gallery. MIM will use the grant’s funds to create a developmentally appropriate space that better supports the learning and basic needs of young children, from birth to age eight. The annex will continue to encourage the exploration of musical sounds, individual and collective composition of music, and expressive movement. During field trips, the space will be used for musical story-time activities and guided drum circles. In the absence of field trips, the annex will offer geographically themed groupings of authentic musical instruments, regalia, and video clips of instruments being played in their cultural contexts, making the additional space accessible and interactive for guests of any age. “MIM is thrilled to receive this important grant from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, which comes at a critical time in our efforts to build capacity and afford greater numbers of young children the opportunity to experience music in an entirely new way,” said April Salomon, MIM’s executive director. “We greatly appreciate Piper Trust’s sharing in our vision to enrich the lives of children for generations to come.” Substantial research today provides strong evidence that music—either in the form of education, practice, or exposure—has a significant impact on the cognitive and social-emotional development of all children, including those with disabilities. MIM recognizes the multitude of ways children learn and encourages them to express themselves through music. “Piper Trust believes that intentional engagement in musical experiences and with instruments can be transformational in a child’s development. The Trust is pleased to support the Musical Instrument Museum in its effort to reach more children through this expansion,” said Susan Pepin, MD, MPH, president and CEO, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. The Musical Instrument Museum is located at 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard in Phoenix (corner of Tatum and Mayo Boulevards, just south of Loop 101). For general museum information and a full schedule of events, visit MIM.org or call 480.478.6000. *** About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $369 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust’s grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information, visit www.pipertrust.org. About MIM The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) enriches our world by collecting, preserving, and making accessible an astonishing variety of musical instruments and performance videos from every country in the world. MIM offers guests a welcoming and fun experience, incomparable interactive technology, dynamic programming, and exceptional musical performances. MIM fosters appreciation of the world’s diverse cultures by showing how we innovate, adapt, and learn from each other to create music—the language of the soul. Find MIM on Facebook: Facebook.com/MIMphx Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: @MIMphx Media Contact Johann Warnholtz Media Relations Specialist Johann.Warnholtz@MIM.org 480.245.6953 DOWNLOAD PDF
