The British Museum in London announced a £30 million ($40 million) gift from a longstanding supporter on October 17, according to Artnet News. The donation came from a longstanding supporter and will go towards the implementation of the museum’s Masterplan redevelopment. The donor’s identity has not been revealed.
The £1 billion Masterplan project is among the most comprehensive transformations in the history of the British Museum. At the center of the development venture is the reimagining of the museum’s Western Range galleries, spearheaded by Lebanese-born architect Lina Ghotmeh. The project will also include a new energy center program to help phase out fossil fuels for low-carbon alternatives.
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In a statement, British Museum Director Nicholas Cullinan said that the donation “represents a significant moment in our plans for the Museum’s future.” He added, “At the heart of everything we do is our ambition to make the British Museum more welcoming, and inspiring for everyone, and this gift is a huge vote of confidence in that vision.” Cullinan delivered the news about the gift at the second annual British Museum Ball, which served as a fundraiser in support of the Masterplan.
British artist and stage designer Es Devlin served as the ball’s artistic director. The museum’s website described this year’s ball as being shaped by the “once-in-a-millennium loan of the Bayeux Tapestry from France, a special display marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, and a landmark exhibition exploring 2,000 years of Korean creativity.”
The ball featured Haitian musician Wyclef Jean as its headlining performer. The event featured over 800 attendees from across the fields of art, fashion, music, and culture. Tickets were priced at £3,500 ($4,700) including a donation. On the night of the ball, protests erupted outside the museum, calling for the museum to end its partnerships with oil companies and tech billionaires, according to a report by The Art Newspaper.