Success Story: Dennos To Debut New Galleries As It Turns Quarter-Century Mark

Sep 15, 2015 | Intercom, Student News

September 15, 2015

Record donation makes expansion possible

It was time for something big, Diana and Richard Milock decided.

NMC today announced the largest single gift by living donors in college history, a $2 million gift to expand the Dennos Museum Center. That gift also happens to be the largest ever for the Milocks, stalwart cultural philanthropists whose touch is evident everywhere in northwest Michigan, from Milliken Auditorium to the Bijou Theatre to the YMCA.

“We saw this as an opportunity to have a major impact on a community resource that we think is really important to the life of Traverse City. We’re really just so excited to be able to do this,” Diana Milock said.

The 9,000-square-foot expansion will house two new galleries intended to be named, respectively, the Gene Jenneman Permanent Collection Gallery and the Diana and Richard Milock Sculpture Gallery.  The former honors the museum’s founding director. Under Jenneman’s quarter century of leadership the Dennos has built a strong permanent collection of works, but most sit in storage.

“We have wonderful works of art and there just isn’t room to show them,” Diana Milock said.

Art lovers and collectors themselves, the Milocks have supported both the Dennos and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for more than a decade.  Diana Milock has a special affinity for sculpture, which will be evident in the expansion. Windows lining one wall of the expansion will connect the new sculpture gallery to existing outdoor sculptures that surround the museum.

“I love outdoor sculpture. If we have access from the interior to observe the exterior, it’s a natural to fill that in,” she said.

The donation will also fund loading dock and storage improvements and a new classroom space.

“This gift from the Milocks speaks strongly to the support that Northwestern Michigan College has earned from this community and our shared desire to strengthen NMC’s role as a leader in providing cultural opportunities,” said NMC President Timothy J. Nelson.

“I am pleased to see this next step in the direction of the Dennos take place in our coming 25^th year,” Jenneman said. “With these permanent collection galleries we will be positioned to make our art collection more accessible on an ongoing basis and to develop more defined connections to the College’s academic programs.”

Preliminary architectural drawings are complete. NMC hopes to bid the project in early 2016, the museum’s 25^th anniversary year, and break ground later in the year.

Dennos to expand thanks to record $2 million gift

Sep 15, 2015 | Intercom, Student News

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College today announced it has received its largest single gift by living donors, $2 million to expand the Dennos Museum Center beginning in 2016.

The gift from longtime college supporters Diana and Richard Milock will create a nearly 9,000-square-foot expansion on the east side of the museum, which opened its doors on the NMC campus in 1991.

The expansion will include:

• Two new galleries dedicated to the museum’s permanent collection and sculpture
• New classroom space
• Improved loading dock
• Increased storage area

The two new galleries in particular will enhance the ability of NMC faculty to use Dennos exhibit space as an extension of their classrooms. The community can also expect to see more works by outstanding local, national and international artists.

Donor Diana Milock said the combination of these benefits inspired the couple’s historic gift. “We saw this as an opportunity to have a major impact on a community resource that we think is really important to the life of Traverse City. We’re really just so excited to be able to do this.”

Art lovers and collectors themselves, the Milocks have supported both the Dennos and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for more than a decade. Diana Milock also serves on the board of the NMC Foundation. The Milocks were named NMC Fellows, the college’s highest honor, in 2014.

“This gift from the Milocks speaks strongly to the support that Northwestern Michigan College has earned from this community and our shared desire to strengthen NMC’s role as a leader in providing cultural opportunities,” said NMC President Timothy J. Nelson.

The Milocks intend to name the permanent gallery the Eugene Jenneman Permanent Collection Gallery, a tribute to the museum’s founding executive director. Jenneman has guided the Dennos since before the museum was even built. Under his leadership the Dennos has built an impressive permanent collection of works, but not had the space to show it.

“I am pleased to see this next step in the direction of the Dennos take place in our coming 25th year,” Jenneman said. “With these permanent collection galleries we will be positioned to make our art collection more accessible on an ongoing basis and to develop more defined connections to the College’s academic programs.”

The intended name for the sculpture gallery is the Diana and Richard Milock Sculpture Gallery.

Traverse City architect John Dancer is completing drawings. Nelson hopes to bid the project in early 2016 and break ground later in the year.

* * * * *

Northwestern Michigan College is a publicly funded community college that serves more than 50,000 learners annually throughout the Grand Traverse region and beyond. NMC offers associate degrees, professional certificates and bachelor’s degrees. The college is home to the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, the Great Lakes Culinary Institute as well as nationally recognized aviation and unmanned systems programs. For more information, visit Northwestern Michigan College at nmc.edu.

The Michael and Barbara Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College is the region’s premier cultural center offering world class programming in the visual and performing arts. The museum offers a changing array of exhibitions in three galleries and a sculpture court; features a “hands on” Discovery Gallery; and a Gallery of Inuit art, the museum’s major permanent collection. The museum’s 367-seat Milliken Auditorium offers concerts in blues, jazz, chamber and world music and hosts the productions of numerous performing arts groups in the region. For more information, visit the Dennos Museum Center at dennosmuseum.org.

Release date: September 15, 2015

For more information:

Rebecca Teahen
Executive Director for Resource Development and Foundation
rteahen@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1855

Your Health Lecture: Facts and Misperceptions about Vaccines and Immunizations

Sep 10, 2015 | Intercom, Student News

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GVSU at NMC to host open house

Sep 4, 2015 | Intercom, Student News

Join GVSU in West Hall on October 28 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Learn about our programs, services and all things GV related! Give-a-ways, games and more. (more…)