During the past 10 years, the Wallace Foundation has provided vital support as the Walker has deep- ened the connections between artists and audiences and defined a new model for a 21st-century cultural institution. A 1994 $1.25 million grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund sup- ported the New Definitions/New Audiences initiative, an institution-wide project that expanded the accessibility of the collection for new as well as traditional audiences. Throughout the grant period, the Walker focused on making the education and community programs department a full partner in program planning; strengthened programs for previously underserved audiences, including people of color, low-income families, and teens; analyzed ways that new technologies can assist in engaging audiences; and developed an acquisitions strategy for a growing collection that is both international and multidisciplinary in scope.
In 2000, the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund's $1.25 million Leadership and Excellence in Arts Participation (LEAP) grant allowed for the enhancement of the Artist-in-Residence initia- tive, the popular Free Thursday Nights program, community programming in the mobile art lab Walker on Wheels, and interactive Web-based programs. The recent $2 million Wallace Foundation Excellence Award is another inspiring example of the foundation's steadfast support of the Walker's efforts to build participation in the arts. We are truly grateful for its extraordinary investment in this institution.
The Walker also received remarkable support from the Bush Foundation this year as it completed the second of a $725,000 three-year grant in support of our More Than a Museum initiative. I am pleased to report that we continue to make great progress on the three overlapping programmatic strands supported by the Bush Foundation's wonderful grant--artist residencies, civic engagement, and interactive learning--as well as on important evaluation efforts that are being completed as part of the project. The initiatives funded through the grant have played a pivotal role in helping the Walker to become "more than a museum" and deepen visitor engagement with the art and artists of our time. I look forward to providing a detailed report on the Bush Foundation's generous grant in next year's annual report, when the project will have been formally completed.
In addition to this recognition for specific programs and pursuits, the Walker was also awarded the highest honor a museum can receive: accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM), which signifies excellence within the museum community. Of the nation's nearly 16,000 museums, 771 are currently accredited by AAM. The Walker is one of only 21 institutions in the United States that have been accredited four consecutive times. In their report to the AAM, the visiting committee noted: "The Walker Art Center is one of the country's leading museums devoted to contemporary art with innovative programming, a first-rate staff, a visionary director, and an out- standing new building." The committee added: "The Walker has recently completed a new building which reflects in every way the institution's commitment to presenting an interdisciplinary program and bringing artists, art forms, and audiences together in new ways. The building also underscores the collegiality of its staff and the collaborative nature of its programming as well as the institutional desire to engage its audience by making contemporary art more accessible. For the first time all the disciplines (visual arts, performing arts, new media, and film/video) are housed in one building in spaces that are extremely well technically equipped. The public spaces are inviting and encourage the notion of the museum as a welcoming place where exploration is encouraged."
