Phoenix Museum Sets Higher Fund-Raising Target

The Phoenix Art Museum aspires to raise $50-million in its capital campaign, a big increase in the amount it originally sought, reports The Arizona Republic.

The campaign started in 2001 when voters approved spending $18.2-million in bond money on the project. After that, the museum set a goal of raising another $12.5-million, but it actually raised about $30-million.

“The economy in late 2001 was not exactly screaming along,” Jim Ballinger, the museum’s director, told the newspaper. “As time went on, economic confidence started coming back, so we’ve gotten to ride a wave.”

The museum will open its expanded spaces in November, which include 9,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, an outdoor sculpture area, and a new photography gallery.