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UMaine Museum of Art Announces Free Admission for 2009, Unveils New Logo

January 13, 2009
Contact: George Kinghorn at 561-3354 

BANGOR — The University of Maine Museum of Art will ring in 2009 with a new logo — and another year of free admission.

 A generous donation by Machias Savings Bank will cover the admission fee for all individuals and groups who visit the museum through the end of 2009. This is an extension of the bank’s gift of free admission in 2008, in memory of the late UMMA benefactor Edward “Ted” Leonard.

“We’remaking the contribution for two reasons,” says Machias Savings Bank President and CEO Edward Hennessey. “One, we think it’s a great cause and two, we want toc ontinue one more year in memory of Ted Leonard, who was a longtime friend of the bank and a strong supporter of the museum.”

As a result of the 2008 gift, UMMA saw a 46 percent increase in visitation — more than 2,000 new, first-time museum-goers — over previous years. Many of those have been school children who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend, as schools statewide have tightened budgets for both travel and arts education.

“In tough economic times, a sponsorship such as this is particularly important,” says UMMA Director George Kinghorn, “Machias Savings Bank’s contribution has been invaluable in providing access to the visual arts to the broader community.”

In addition to accessibility, Kinghorn would like the museum to have greater visibility in the community and beyond. To that end, on Tuesday he ceremonially unveiled a new logo that underscores the museum’s ties to UMaine as well as the university’s commitment to the arts statewide.

The logo features the words, “UMaine Museum of Art” in UMaine’s signature shades of blue, along with a geometric graphic element that abstractly references a picture frame or an open door. 

“This sends a very strong message of the important role the University of Maine plays in the visual arts throughout Maine,” Kinghorn says. “Our goal is to make the experience for visitors warm and welcoming, and the new logo sends a very clear message to visitors: Here you are, here is the museum, come in and enjoy.”