Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Newseum Announces $5 Million Gift From Robert H. and Clarice Smith

WASHINGTON, May 2 — The Newseum today announced that Robert H. and Clarice Smith will give $5 million to sponsor the Newseum’s Big Screen Theater, a 3,500-square-foot theater in the museum scheduled to open Oct. 15 in Washington, D.C.

The Big Screen Theater, which will bear the Smiths’ name in recognition of their gift, will present historic newscasts, original documentaries and breaking news on a 100-foot-long video wall. Visitors will see some of the most important and memorable broadcast news moments, as well as original productions that will take them behind the scenes of news reporting. When a major news story breaks, the Big Screen Theater’s ability to draw from more than 100 news feeds from around the globe and to project multiple images simultaneously on the screen will offer visitors the latest news and perspectives on the day’s events.

"Bob and Clarice Smith are extremely generous people with a record of giving to important institutions," said Charles L. Overby, the Newseum’s CEO. "The Newseum will benefit greatly, and millions of visitors will benefit, too."

Robert H. Smith is chairman of Charles E. Smith Commercial Realty, a division of Vornado Realty Trust, and chairman of Charles E. Smith Residential, a division of Archstone-Smith. His family company is best known for developing and building the Crystal City complex in Northern Virginia. His wife, Clarice Smith, is a well-known Virginia artist and collector, and paints landscapes, florals, still life and equestrian subjects. She has had solo exhibitions at prestigious galleries in Washington, New York, Paris, London and Zurich.

"In my opinion, living under our Constitution is perhaps the greatest political privilege ever accorded to the human race," Bob Smith said. "This Newseum epitomizes the values of our Constitution and encourages us to dream."

The Smith Family joins a consortium of founding partners that includes The New York Times – Ochs-Sulzberger Family; News Corporation; the Greenspun Family; Cox Enterprises; Hearst Corporation; ABC News; NBC News; the Pulliam Family; and Time Warner. The Smiths’ gift brings to $64 million the total contribution of the founding partners to the $435 million project.

About the Newseum

When it opens in October, the Newseum — a 250,000-square-foot museum of news — will offer visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.

The Newseum will be located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., on America’s Main Street between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. The exterior’s unique architectural features include a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment and an immense front wall of glass through which passers-by will be able to watch the museum fulfilling its mission of providing a forum where the media and the public can gain a better understanding of each other.

The Newseum will feature seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It will offer a unique environment that takes museum-goers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.

About the Freedom Forum

The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, Va., is a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The foundation focuses on three priorities: the Newseum, the First Amendment and newsroom diversity.

The Freedom Forum is the main funder of the operations of the Newseum; the First Amendment Center; and the Diversity Institute. The First Amendment Center and the Diversity Institute are housed in the John Seigenthaler Center at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. The First Amendment Center also has offices in Washington and the Diversity Institute has offices and programs at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

The Freedom Forum was established in 1991 under the direction of Founder Al Neuharth as successor to a foundation started in 1935 by newspaper publisher Frank E. Gannett. The Freedom Forum is not affiliated with Gannett Co. Its work is supported by income from an endowment of diversified assets.

Media Contact:
Susan Bennett, Newseum 703/284-3765
sbennett@newseum.org
An artist's rendering of the First Amendment Gallery, as well as other Newseum images, is available for download.