Dear Friends,

The day after Halloween is usually slow-moving, as we shake out the cobwebs and off the candy hangover. But this November 1, I’m feeling energized, and slightly giddy, thinking ahead to the holiday season before us: a chance to gather in counting our blessings and to rejoice. Finally.

This season at Hill-Stead also brings our most important fundraising, the Annual Fund. For the Herculean task we face, of raising 90% of our operating budget every year, these donations are critically important. They are the biggest gear in our Hill-Stead engine, without which we simply could not run.

For this, we have chosen to highlight three pillars of our service to the community: Art, Education, and the Future. We know that these pillars mean different things to different people, and we are so fortunate to have the resources – of artworks, nature, and human ingenuity – to cultivate so many different options for each. This enables many avenues of approach to the museum and even more ways to find growth and meaningful experiences there.

One of our volunteers, Board member Rafeena Bacchus Lee, enjoyed one of our concerts and agreed to let us share her impressions in the short video below. I, too, feel very fortunate to live in a place that values art appreciation and learning, a place that calls Hill-Stead its own. I hope that you will consider joining Rafeena and me in supporting this incredible institution with a gift to the Annual Fund.

Anna

Dr. Anna Swinbourne
Executive Director & CEO