News

Boise's Basque Museum & Cultural Center, a key social agent to maintaining Basque culture in USA, is launching a fundraising campaign to address the growing demand for activities.

The fundraising campaign, that goes under the name of Expanding Horizons, will support new educational programs, collaborations and partnerships. It will also fund expanded exhibits and archives. Finally, it will provide outreach of the new services to a larger audience of patrons.

The appeals come from both resident and far-reaching individuals and communities who seek information and knowledge from the well-respected museum located in Boise, Idaho. A survey of patrons was taken as part of a 10 year strategic plan completed in 2010. The results indicated the museum could better benefit patrons by offering additional services to schools, individuals and businesses. In addition, increased outreach was desired.

The Expanding Horizons campaign hopes to generate 1.5 million dollars to be used for expanded educational programs, additional exhibits and archival materials, resources and increased outreach. An initial generous gift of $525,000 was given by a long-time, out-of-state patron, Virginia Argoitia. Another $250,000 has been donated and/or pledged from major donors, businesses and foundations to commence the campaign efforts.

The substantial goal is meant to grow and sustain the museum so that it can continue to provide more value and increased benefit to a larger patron base for many generations to come.

Programs

Nearly 300,000 people visited the Basque Museum's latest exhibit Hidden in Plain Sight: The Basques at Ellis Island, NY, where it opened. Nowadays, it is on display in the main gallery of the museum. It tells the Basque immigration story relating to the Basques in the United States. The exhibit consists of many poster sized panels with text and photos, along with some small artifacts and DVDs that can be shown to better illustrate the Basque story.

Other programs by Boise's Basque Museum include the Basque language classes to adults and Boiseko Ikastola, the only Basque preschool outside of the Basque Country.