MEMBER WAM

• RECEIVE free admission all year! Benefactor Members also receive reciprocal membership at select museums.

• GAIN free admission to Flora in Winter.

• ENJOY special tours, talks, virtual presentations, and sneak-peeks, just for Members.

• EARN discounts in the Museum Shop and on tuition for studio classes.

Renew, upgrade, or purchase a gift membership online at worcesterart.org/join, email membership@worcesterart.org, call 508.793.4300, or stop by one of the Guest Services desks at WAM.

The Salisbury Giving Society is a vibrant group of enthusiastic Museum supporters. They provide the resources needed to care for WAM’s world-class collection, create outstanding exhibitions, and deliver impactful programs—key components of fulfilling our mission to connect people, communities, and cultures through the experience of art.

In appreciation of their generous support, Salisbury Patrons enjoy opportunities to connect with the heart of the Museum, its collections, and its people, including:

•In-person and virtual events with WAM’s director and curators

•Special access to Flora in Winter and exhibition openings

•Museum trips led by WAM curators

•Opportunities to share WAM with family and friends

•Reciprocal membership at over 1,400 museums throughout North America

Upcoming Salisbury Giving Society Programs (Subject to change)

Frontiers of Impressionism Opening Weekend Reception and Tour

April 1, 2023

Join Claire Whitner, WAM’s Director of Curatorial Affairs and the James A. Welu Curator of European Art, for a tour of Frontiers of Impressionism. After the tour, join your fellow Salisbury Patrons for an elegant reception in the Renaissance Court, followed by the public exhibition opening.

Watercolors Unboxed Tour and Cocktail Reception

Summer 2023

Join Nancy Kathryn Burns, WAM’s Stoddard Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, for a private tour of the exhibition Watercolors Unboxed.

For questions or more information about the Salisbury Giving Society, please contact Katy Sullivan at KatySullivan@worcesterart.org or 508.793.4325.

Donor Spotlight: George and Lynne Tonna

George and Lynne Tonna are residents of Worcester and own a commercial real estate development company with properties in Worcester and the greater Boston area. They are active members of Worcester’s St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral, and St. Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Church in Shrewsbury. Born and raised in Worcester, George believes in supporting local organizations. The couple have been Salisbury Giving Society Patrons since 2004, and Lynne has been a Corporator since that time as well. Prior to that, Lynne took several photography/darkroom courses taught by the late Ed Esleek and was involved with the Museum through her media career, helping to promote events and exhibitions. She is also currently on the Salisbury Giving Society Committee, a group that promotes the Salisbury membership, and has volunteered with WAM’s Flora in Winter.

As the Tonnas see it, the Worcester Art Museum is one of the finest museums in the world and a crown jewel of the city, in which all Worcester residents should take great pride. They appreciate the everchanging galleries and the compelling exhibitions that showcase visiting master- pieces and highlight seldom-seen gems from WAM's own collection. From Asian to Greek to Dutch to African art, there is a lot to consider. One of their favorite pieces of Worcester trivia is that the Museum was the first in the USA to purchase a Monet “water lilies” painting. As a photography buff, Lynne has enjoyed past photo exhibitions such as the homage to photojournalist Robert Capa and Kennedy to Kent State. George is partial to the Higgins Armory Collection, and to paintings of the American landscape from the Hudson River School, particularly the works of Thomas Cole. The beautiful light in these landscape paintings glow in the galleries. WAM is intimate yet filled with awe-inspiring and important works.

Lynne says, "We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and if not for the founders of WAM and its current supporters, we would not have such a significant cultural institution in Worcester. It takes a lot to maintain the building and its climate-controlled storage, along with restoration and acquisition. If we want a world-class city, it is vital to support this world-class museum.”