On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass, I profoundly thank you for your past support. YOUR museum is open and accessible for all due in great part to your efforts and philanthropic spirit. The pandemic has given us a great opportunity to reboot the many ways in which we engage our community. We have used our challenges to create “flexible pivots” that have opened up larger doors and opportunities. I ask that you please consider Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in your year-end giving plans this year. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue to share our remarkable glass collection, exhibitions, and programs­ – and free general admission for all.          

Some of our new initiatives have included:

• Establishment of 193 Art Activity Day Scholarships for children through the generosity of the William and Helen Burger Memorial Fund within the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region.
• Providing our SPARK! Program both virtually and in person in order to continue to provide interactive experiences for people with memory loss and their care partners.
• Significant increase of classes offered for the community taught by well-known glass artists, many classes with sold out attendance.
• Gifts of new studio equipment including torches and a mobile furnace called a “Mini Dragon.”
• The creation of an online friend-raising auction titled “Catching Fire” which supported 103 glass artists with participation from 7 countries.
• The creation of thought-provoking exhibitions featuring over 100 globally known glass artists.

These are just a few of the ways in which the museum has rebooted during these past months. Through our commitment to glass, we are determined to provide high quality experiences to our community regardless of these global setbacks. We ask for your help to continue offering bold visions and experiences in glass by making a 100% tax deductible gift to our year-end fund drive. I am delighted to share that once again this year, generous museum supporters Lynn and Roger Van Vreede have graciously agreed to a $20,000 matching gift during our year-end appeal. Please support our match gift challenge by making a donation today.