Broads Give $2 Million More to Art Museum

Michigan State University is lucky to have an alumnus like philanthropist Eli Broad, who, along with his wife, Edythe, committed an additional $2 million toward an art museum to be erected on his alma mater’s campus. The Broads' gifts to MSU now total $28 million—with $21 million for construction and $7 million for acquisitions, exhibitions, and operations. “This new museum, designed by one of the world’s leading architects, will become a contemporary art destination,” said Broad, founder of The Broad Foundations, which aims to advance entrepreneurship in education, science, and the arts. “It extends our mission of enabling art to be seen by the broadest public.” Though the world-class art museum is expected to cost $40 million to $45 million, the project has brought in nearly $33 million in private funds. The museum, to be known as the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, will be “a place for transformative cultural experiences,” the school’s president said. Construction on the building, designed by Zaha Hadid, is set to break ground on March 16 and conclude in 2012.