NEWS RELEASE Contact:
Colleen Schafroth, Executive Director
(509)773-3733, colleen@maryhillmuseum.org
Maryhill Museum of Art
Wind Turbine Partnership
Is First of Its Kind in United States
(GOLDENDALE, Wash., January 28, 2009) --
Maryhill Museum of Art announced today that it has entered into a unique agreement with Windy Point Partners to site 15 wind turbines
on the eastern end of the museum’s 5,300 acres in SW Washington state. Once the turbines begin producing energy in late 2009, the
relationship is anticipated to generate over $100,000 in revenue for the museum each year.
According to the American Wind Energy Association, this is believed to be the first
wind energy project in the United States to generate revenues for a nonprofit museum.
“This is
literally a wind-win situation – the museum will earn much-needed funds and at the same time, play an important role in a renewable energy
project,” said Colleen Schafroth, executive director of Maryhill Museum of Art, which contains the second largest collection of Auguste Rodin
artwork on the West Coast and the largest public display of Native American basketry in North America.
“Revenue from the wind farm will provide additional resources to maintain the museum building and grounds, and allow us to meet
the needs of our growing audiences,” says Schafroth. “Most people are feeling the pinch of increased expenses and Maryhill is no
exception. Our costs are not static. And while we have membership revenue and generous donors, there is still an income gap.”
The museum’s approved operating budget for 2009 is $1,138,000. The museum
welcomes approximately 45,000 visitors each year.
Maryhill Museum of Art is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale,
Washington. Ten of the 2.3 megawatt turbines on Maryhill property will be constructed during the first quarter of 2009 and sited west of Highway 97.
The remaining five turbines are to be constructed in late 2009 and sited east of Highway 97. The turbines will be located at the eastern end of the
museum’s 5,300-acre property and will not interfere with the vistas of or from the museum, an iconic Beaux Arts mansion built between 1912 and
1918.
In addition to the museum building, Maryhill Museum of Art’s land holdings
include the historic Maryhill Loops Road and Lower Road, the historic Maryhill town site, three residences and twenty-five outbuildings. The museum
has the only life-sized replica of Stonehenge on its property, built to memorialize local men who perished in World War I. While much of the
land remains wild, portions are used for agricultural purposes and are leased to area ranchers, farmers and orchardists to graze cattle and raise
crops, the revenue from which supports the annual operating budget.
In speaking of the
agreement, Ford Bell, president of the American Association of Museums, says, “Museums are increasingly seeking alternative revenue streams to
help fund infrastructure and programs. I applaud Maryhill for making use of its unique setting and natural resources to ensure a sustainable future
not only for the museum, but for all of us.”
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ABOUT WINDY FLATS WIND
FARM:
The Windy Flats Wind Farm and the nearby Windy Point Wind Farm,
both operated by Windy Point Partners, will be one of the largest wind projects in the U.S. It is expected that the two wind farms will produce
enough clean electricity for over 250,000 households per year. Windy Point Partners has said that turbines on the site will be placed to avoid
impacting the view from the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. In addition, Windy Point Partners has committed to contributing over $1 million
to a Columbia River Gorge habitat preservation fund. For more information, go to http://www.cannonpowergroup.com/.
ABOUT MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART:
Housed in a glorious Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300
acres high above the banks of the Columbia River, Maryhill Museum of Art is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enchanting cultural
destinations. It is home to a world-class permanent collection and rotating exhibitions of the highest caliber.
Founded by Northwest
entrepreneur and visionary Sam Hill, Maryhill opened to the public in 1940. Maryhill’s collections include more than 80 works by Auguste
Rodin, including a pedestal-sized plaster version of The Thinker, as well as European and American
paintings, magnificent objects d'art from the palaces of the Queen of Romania, Orthodox icons, a collection of unique chess sets, and the renowned
Théâtre de la Mode, which features small-scale mannequins attired in designer fashions of
post-World War II France. Baskets of the indigenous people of North America were a collecting interest of Sam Hill; today the museum’s
Native American collection has grown to represent nearly every tradition and style in North America, with works of art from prehistoric through
contemporary.
The museum’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden features work by artists such as Tom Herrera, Mel Katz,
Heath Krieger, Alisa Looney, Jill Torberson, Julian Voss-Andreae, Jeff Weitzel and Leon White. The Maryhill Overlook, a site-specific sculpture by
noted Portland architect Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture, provides a unique interpretation of the Columbia River Gorge through a series of
cutouts and windows that isolate smaller views within the larger landscape. Also on site are Lewis and Clark interpretive panels. Four miles east of
Maryhill is a life-sized replica of Stonehenge, which Sam Hill built to memorialize local men who perished in World War I.
The museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2001 the museum was
listed as an official site of the National Historic Lewis and Clark Trail and in 2002 was accredited by the American Association of Museums.
VISITOR INFORMATION:
Maryhill Museum of Art is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., March 15 to November 15. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16.
Refreshments are available at Café Maryhill, which
offers a great selection of sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks, cold beverages, and freshly baked desserts and pastries. Picnic lunches are also
available. The Museum Store features art and history books, jewelry, Native American crafts and other mementos.
Four miles east of the museum is Sam Hill’s replica of England’s Stonehenge, which he
built as a tribute to the soldiers of Klickitat County who lost their lives in World War I. Admission to the Stonehenge Memorial is free; it is open
from 7:00 a.m. to dusk daily. Nearby The Klickitat County Veterans Memorial was erected in 1995 to honor those who have died in the service of their
country since World War I.
Maryhill is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale, Washington. Drive times to the museum
are 2 hours from Portland/Vancouver, 3.5 hours from Bend, 4 hours from Seattle, and 1.5 hours from Yakima.
For further information about Maryhill, visit http://www.maryhillmuseum.org/
