Los Angeles, CA (August 29, 2024) — The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) today announced a new public fundraising campaign for the Natural History Museum’s (NHM) new wing and community hub, NHM Commons, which opens on November 17 to the general public. The Buzzworthy Benefactors campaign allows individual donors, with contributions starting at $2,500, to be recognized in a beautiful display featuring our iconic winged creatures- the honeybee, butterfly, dragonfly, and ladybug - when NHM Commons opens in November.
“The Buzzworthy Benefactors campaign is a celebration of community, progress, and access. By becoming an NHM Commons donor, participants will be honored with a custom-designed winged insect flying high on the wall adjacent to the Judith Perlstein Welcome Center for visitors to enjoy for years to come” said Katherine Kotcheff, NHM’s Campaign Director.
As a participant in this campaign, donors will be recognized as a part of this welcoming and inclusive community installation with a prized disc that will always be available for viewing anytime visitors enter the Museum and will be a testament to the lasting contributions to science, education, and culture. Donors may also choose to honor the legacy of their family, loved one, or favorite organization.
The wall of Buzzworthy Benefactors will be covered in donors identified as green dragonflies ($2,500), blue honeybees ($5,000), silver ladybugs ($7,500) and gold butterflies ($10,000), bringing a colorful and remarkable feature to the community space.
The Buzzworthy Benefactors campaign offers the NHM community the opportunity to be a part of (natural) history-in-the-making and support the continuing efforts to open new doors for visitors and local communities. The donors will be featured prominently in a no-ticket-required space that will see hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and provide several free experiences before entering the main part of the museum.
The transformative $75 million NHM Commons expansion and renovation project, designed by Frederick Fisher and Partners, with landscape architecture by Studio-MLA and new experiences designed by Studio Joseph, comprises approximately 75,000 square feet of renovated space and new construction. NHM’s new wing will include accessible outdoor spaces, and is designed with a transparent glass façade, enabling the public to see into the Museum and visitors to view Exposition Park. Inside, the 400-seat multi-purpose Commons Theater and additional spaces will allow NHM to expand its community-centered, co-created programming and connect the public with science, nature, culture, heritage, and community while providing opportunities for people to experience NHM, with or without a ticket.
NHM Commons’ Judith Perlstein Welcome Center will feature highlights such as L.A. artist Barbara Carrasco’s 80-foot landmark 1981 mural LA History: A Mexican Perspective and the more than 75-foot dinosaur skeleton nicknamed Gnatalie—the most complete sauropod skeleton on the West Coast, and the first green dinosaur fossil to be mounted for display worldwide. Gnatalie’s unusual name comes from the many gnats that plagued excavators while they worked to collect the fossil in Utah. Additionally, the new wing will include an exhibit devoted to community science, a 3000-square-foot theater gallery, the debut of T.rex, a 3D film about NHM’s own Thomas the T.rex and world-renowned Growth Series, landscape design features for outdoor spaces, a grab n’ go café operated by South LA Café and additional retail offerings, which will include products by local artisans.
NHM Commons is supported by NHMLAC’s Opening New Doors Campaign, which has exceeded $107 million and includes funding for NHM Commons construction as well as endowment and programmatic fundraising efforts. The NHM Commons project is supported by leadership gifts and grants from the following public and private contributors: County of Los Angeles - $30 million; State of California - $9 million; Annenberg Foundation - $5 million; Ron Perlstein, in memory of Judith Perlstein - $5 million; Ahmanson Foundation - $2 million; The Rose Hills Foundation - $2 million, The W.M. Keck Foundation - $1 million, and The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation - $1 million.
For more information on how to support NHM Commons, visit nhm.org/commons.
About the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County:
The Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) include the Natural History Museum, La Brea Tar Pits, and the William S. Hart Museum. They operate under the collective vision to inspire wonder, discovery, and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds. The museums hold one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history—more than 35 million objects. Using these collections for groundbreaking scientific and historical research, the museums also incorporate them into on- and offsite nature and culture exploration in L.A. neighborhoods, and a slate of community science programs—creating indoor-outdoor visitor experiences that explore the past, present, and future. Visit NHMLAC.ORG for adventure, education, and entertainment opportunities.