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All of us at the IMAS hope that you and those you care about are healthy and coping in these extraordinary times. This crisis has touched all of us in some way, and our thoughts are especially with the most vulnerable and with those in our community struggling with uncertainty.
The strength of our Rio Grande Valley community has been on display everywhere as we face Covid-19 together. I am in awe of the resiliency, resourcefulness, and ingenuity with which our IMAS staff continue to carry out our mission by nurturing creativity, curiosity, and exploration for art and science so essential to our well-being in challenging times. I also commend our Board of Trustees whose support, advocacy, and wisdom are so ably guiding us.
Looking Ahead
As we think about re-opening, I am focused on three keys: our staff, our programs, and our audiences.
Our staff is our foundation and their unstoppable, passion, expertise and energy are fueling the experiences they are creating for you online until we can come together at the museum.
Our programs are born out of our remarkable art and science collections and the associated exhibit experiences staff create to inspire our audiences.
Our audience is you – your family, friends, neighbors, our community – and central to our work. As we curate exhibits, create education programs, or develop special events, we think about you and how you will connect with, learn from, or make a memory at the museum.
You can make a difference
On Tuesday, May 5, we will participate in a national Day of Giving. Now more than ever your museum membership sustains us in serving our community; including the 54% of museum visitors who are children ages 3-17, most now schooling at home.
If you are not currently a member please consider joining the IMAS. If you are already a member, thank you. Please consider renewing early and increasing your giving level if you are able to do so. Membership expiration dates will be adjusted to accommodate for the time we have been closed to the public.
Would you consider giving a gift membership to a family member, friend, or neighbor? Or making a special gift to support our on-going education programs? Many individual acts have a profound impact.
We also understand that some of you may not be able to join or renew at this time due to a change of circumstances. All our current online programs are available free of charge and please know that we will be looking for ways to make IMAS accessible to all when our building is once again open for visitors.
Please email or connect on social media to let me know what you’re looking forward to seeing at the museum when we re-open and share how you’ve been discovering art and science at home with #IMASartist. Our heartfelt gratitude for your support!
Yours truly,
Ann Fortescue, President & Executive Director
