SANTA BARBARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, today celebrated its progress with a special event dubbed “Meet MOXI” that provided guests with a first look inside the construction site at 125 State Street and an update on the museum’s Capital Campaign fundraising efforts. To date, the campaign has been funded largely by board members and a small number of generous individual donors, businesses and foundations. MOXI is now turning to the public for assistance with the final $4 million needed to fund the building’s construction, exhibits and an endowment fund for ongoing maintenance, technology and programs.
“We are so grateful to everyone who has gotten behind this project, it is truly a community effort. The finish line is in sight, but we need this final $4 million to ensure a world-class and thriving museum for years to come,” said Nancy Sheldon, third vice president of MOXI’s board of directors, who co-chairs the Capital Campaign with Alixe Mattingly. “You are the key to our success,” Sheldon continued as she revealed a poster with a large key on it. MOXI will use this key to track its progress towards completing the capital campaign by the end of 2016 when the museum is expected to open its doors.
Following remarks from Sheldon and Mattingly as well as MOXI president and CEO Steve Hinkley, board president Jill Levinson and naming benefactors Dick and Noelle Wolf, guests toured the construction site where drywall is in the process of being installed. They also enjoyed bite-size “Pi”es in honor of the upcoming Pi Day celebrated on March 14, or 3.14, as mathematics is a key subject matter of MOXI’s exhibits.
“This is a milestone day for MOXI. The progress we have made since breaking ground is remarkable and now we can begin to get people excited about the fun experiences and opportunities for learning they will find inside our four walls and on our rooftop,” said Hinkley. “We can’t wait to welcome guests from all over Santa Barbara County and beyond. As the only museum of its kind between Los Angeles and San Francisco, we hope to become an invaluable resource for area parents and educators, and to inspire our country’s next great thinkers, inventors, and innovators.”
Construction is expected to be complete this summer, with exhibit installation scheduled to begin in the fall for an anticipated opening toward the end of 2016. When open, the museum will be a family-friendly destination dedicated to igniting learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity. More than 70 exhibits exploring concepts and topics in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics will be spread across the museum’s three floors, including the rooftop Sky Garden. To learn more about the exhibits and MOXI experience, visit moxi.org/insider and register as a “MOXI Insider” to gain access to exclusive content and opt to receive email updates about memberships, event rentals, field trips and more.
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, will be a 21st century museum dedicated to igniting learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity. Scheduled to open in late 2016, MOXI will serve children of all ages as well as lifelong learners. It is located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s redeveloped tourist area at 125 State Street and will be the county’s first LEED-certified museum. The museum’s interactive exhibits, designed by award-winning museum planning firm Gyroscope, Inc. align with the national agenda to boost student achievement in math and science. MOXI is currently engaged in a $25 million capital campaign to fund the building, exhibits and an endowment for the future. For more information on how to donate or get involved, contact MOXI at 805-708-2282, info@moxi.org or visit moxi.org.
