Danforth Art Museum receives $4,660,000 donation

By Sarah Daponde

Editorial Staff

In June, the Danforth Art Museum and Art School received a donation of $4,660,000 from the estate of a dedicated supporter and trustee, Susan Litowitz, just in time for its 50th anniversary.

Museum Director and Curator Jessica Roscio said this is the largest gift ever given to the Danforth since its opening in 1975.

Art School Director Noelle Fournier said she is most excited about “being able to execute the things we’ve been dreaming about.”

The endowment is divided into four sections, said Roscio.

The largest amount goes toward the Litowitz Family Gallery to support the installation and programming of the museum’s exhibitions.

“We’re finding we’re able to do things and support artists in a way that we weren’t before,” said Roscio.

She said the museum’s exhibitions are planned three years in advance and all artists featured in the Danforth are based in New England.

Many artists are found through the Danforth’s juried summer shows, as well as through portfolio reviews and recommendations from other artists, said Roscio.

“It tends to be a pretty organic process - developing a relationship with an artist and finding a body of work that we would like to show and then [finding] how it fits into the other exhibitions,” she added.

The gift cannot be used to purchase artwork directly because this is done through a separate acquisitions fund. Roscio said she hopes the Danforth will be able to use it to better support the artists who show their work instead.

“Even though we can’t use this gift to purchase artwork, it will hopefully lead to more artwork coming into the collection by connecting us with more artists,” she added.

Professor of Art Timothy McDonald hopes the donation will lead to the Danforth being able to acquire more pieces of art. “Anything that would help the museum expand their collection is a good thing because it will broaden and deepen the experience of art for students and the community,” he said.

The second portion of the gift goes toward the museum’s educational programs, said Fournier.

Framingham State students receive free admission to the art museum year-round. The campus is a short walk from the Danforth, located on Vernon Street, and students are able to take classes taught by Framingham State faculty to earn credit toward their degrees.

Fournier said the Danforth also employs several Framingham State students and offers a number of internships.

Another portion of the donation is set aside for marketing and community engagement. A portion of the marketing budget can be used to increase community outreach as the Danforth’s 50th anniversary approaches, Fournier said.

She said the Danforth will host a party to celebrate the anniversary on Nov. 22, which will be their first fundraiser since the museum’s transition from Downtown Framingham in 2016.

Roscio and Fournier are the only employees who moved from the downtown location to the current location.

“We were packing the artwork physically to come over here,” said Fournier.

The Danforth’s downtown location closed in 2016. The Danforth merged with Framingham State and moved to its current location in the winter of 2017. It took four months for the art school to reopen and three years for the museum to reopen, said Roscio.

“And then COVID came right after we reopened. … It’s been an interesting past six years,” she added.

She said the “incredibly welcome and robust” support from Framingham State’s administration made a big difference in the Danforth’s journey and community outreach.

“To be in a really good place and to be working more closely with the University and for it to be our 50th year and to have this gift … it was a really big shot in the arm,” Roscio added.

Fournier said Litowitz wanted the final portion of the endowment to be used specifically for art students aged 50 and older. The money will make free classes and events much more possible.

The classes take place on the third floor of the Danforth, which makes it easy for students to go down to the museum and look around whenever they want, said Fournier.

The Danforth likes to focus on the connection between art viewing and art making. “There are not a lot of places you can do that,” she added.

Litowitz took many classes at the Danforth, Fournier said.

“She was quite an accomplished artist herself, which was pretty amazing,” she added.

Litowitz’s involvement, both as a supporter and artist, began before the Danforth’s merger with Framingham State University and lasted until her death in 2023 at the age of 69.

“It was also just really wonderful that this gift came from one of our former trustees who both Noelle and I had worked with at the old Danforth and the new Danforth. … To know she had this level of faith in the institution was really wonderful,” Roscio said. 

Fournier said Litowitz’s voice was important, especially for the Danforth's educational programming.

“It’s kind of a public acknowledgement that the Danforth really needed for other donors to see,” said Fournier. “It’s really transformed how we can conceive of ourselves in the realm of institutions.”

Students at the Danforth do not have to attend Framingham State University, according to Fournier. Anyone from the community is welcome to take a class at the art school, including young children, teenagers, and adults.

The Danforth welcomed over 500 students during their summer art programs, added Fournier.

Sophomore Studio Art major Emily Agnelli attended a printmaking workshop at the Danforth. “I got great instruction and everyone was very helpful,” she said. “Having a resource like this so close to campus is awesome.”

Agnelli said she would consider taking classes at the Danforth even after graduating from Framingham State. She said she believes it is important for adults to have a place to continue learning about and making art.

“I think the fact that the Danforth provides a workspace and instruction is very impactful and beneficial. I think there are a lot of people who want to learn to create and make things but don’t know where to begin,” she added.

Senior Studio Art student Zen Crosby works at the Danforth in Visitor Services.

“I hope we can host more community art events so we can build community within the MetroWest. ... I also think it would be wonderful if we held more classes and workshops,” they said.

Junior Studio Art major Miranda Alicon took a class at the Danforth during her freshman year and said it allowed her to see more of the museum than she previously had.

“Non-art students don’t know about it as much,” she said. In the future, she hopes to see the Danforth advertise more about their events and programs.

Angel Marin-Caceres, a sophomore English major at Framingham State, enjoys visiting the Danforth and hopes to take a class there in the future. “I think the most enriching part is how it features a lot of diverse artists,” she said.