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Cici and Hyatt Brown on the opening day ribbon cutting of the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art at the Museum of Arts & Sciences .
In March 2020 , the Museum of Arts & Sciences , like most organizations and businesses , was thrown into a whole new world . After closing on March 18th , the Museum remained closed to the public for two whole months before guidelines for reopening , which contained specific advice for museums and science centers , were issued by Governor DeSantis .
The ambitious construction program MOAS had undertaken in the past eight years meant that once safety guidelines were issued , we found ourselves in the envious position of knowing we had museum buildings perfectly suited to reopening safely . At the main MOAS building , we realized that once past our entrance door into our new lobby the whole museum was accessible touch-free . The Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art enjoyed similar benefits and again the wide , spacious galleries and the obvious safety measures implemented , including mask-wearing , hand sanitizing stations and a touchfree entry experience , have seen patrons returning to enjoy the museum experience in confidence and safety .
Crucial to the successful operations of the Museum in a year that saw attendance dropping at times below 60 % of our usual levels were the large endowments the organization has been focusing on raising over the last few years . The generosity of local philanthropists such as the Root Family , Lowell and Nancy Lohman , Gale Lemerand , and of course Cici and Hyatt Brown have seen MOAS now overseeing one of the largest endowment portfolios in Florida museums , managed by a committee of trustees and advisors that ensured that the organization was able to survive the closure and subsequent downturn in attendance with no layoffs , furloughs or cuts in service .
Lowell and Nancy Lohman pictured with MOAS Executive Director , Andrew Sandall in what is now the Lowell and Nancy Lohman Family Planetarium at the Museum of Arts & Sciences .
Gale Lemerand after the unveiling of his portrait displayed at the entrance of the now L . Gale Lemerand Wing at the Museum of Arts & Sciences .
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FEBRUARY 2021 | 29 |