Grounds For Sculpture
Grounds For Sculpture (GFS) in Hamilton has announced a $3 million gift from the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, a marking one of the largest single donations from an individual in the organization’s history. This endowment gift will play a crucial role in ensuring the lasting legacy of GFS and its commitment to promoting the interplay of art, nature, and wellness for the community.
Betty Wold Johnson, a devoted supporter of the arts and the cousin of Seward Johnson, the visionary founder of GFS, has left an indelible mark on the institution. She was one of the most celebrated philanthropists of her generation, and her commitment to the arts and her family’s legacy of creativity continue to inspire the GFS’s mission to engage the public with art in nature.
“We are immensely grateful to the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation for this remarkable gift,” said GFS Executive Director Gary Garrido Schneider. “This contribution not only enhances our endowment but also strengthens our ability to provide innovative exhibitions, educational programs, and community initiatives. We are committed to ensuring that Grounds For Sculpture remains a source of inspiration for generations to come.”
The Betty Wold Johnson Foundation’s contribution will enable Grounds For Sculpture to expand its programming and improve facilities, while also supporting the ongoing maintenance and preservation of the 42-acre sculpture park. With this gift, the total endowment for Grounds For Sculpture now exceeds $37 million, representing a significant step toward safeguarding the future of GFS and enhancing its role as a cultural beacon in New Jersey and the surrounding region.
Penelope A. Lattimer, vice president of the GFS Board of Trustees and chair of GFS’s Development Committee, reflected on her memories of Betty: “Each time I spoke with Betty Wold Johnson, I was inspired. Betty was a woman of substance and grace. Cherished memories of my conversations and walks through Grounds for Sculpture with Betty give joy to my voluntarism every day. She spoke with conviction and shared her values ardently; and so, I am grateful that at the top was her belief in and support for the unique mission and values demonstrated by work presented in the exhibitions at Grounds for Sculpture.”
Ken Farber, director of the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation, stated, “While Betty Wold Johnson is no longer with us, her passion for art and belief in its power to enrich lives continues. This gift reflects her unwavering commitment to supporting meaningful philanthropic endeavors. We hope it encourages others to join us in celebrating and preserving the legacy established by Seward Johnson at Grounds For Sculpture.”
More information: www.groundsforsculpture.org.
Morven Museum & Garden
Morven Museum & Garden announced a grant award of $25,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the Inclusive History Gallery Exhibition project to write interpretive text for a new exhibition gallery and develop related public programming. This new gallery will use the museum’s second floor west wing, which, before the construction of the Stockton Education Center, served as a large meeting room.
“The grant will help Morven expand the story we tell about everyone who lived here,” said Rhonda DiMascio, executive director at Morven. “We’re excited to continue our work with research and archival consultant Sharece Blakney, who has conducted over 900 hours of research on people enslaved by the Stockton family.”
Beginning in March, Blakney and Morven’s curators will develop interpretive text and related programming for the first Inclusive History Gallery exhibition (to open in Fall 2025) as part of the grant funding. The exhibition will examine families like the Stocktons, whose landing holdings and familial ties stretched across states in the North and South in the period leading up to the Civil War. Morven will also work with community advisor Shirley Satterfield to connect programming with Princeton’s Black history.
More information: www.morven.org.
