Kansas University officials on Thursday announced the first large donation toward the expansion of the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
KU alumni Lester “Dusty” Loo and Katherine Haughey Loo, Colorado Springs, Colo., will contribute $1.5 million toward the project, which will nearly double the museum’s size, KU announced.
The pledges count toward the $500 million goal of the KU First: Invest in Excellence drive, the largest fund-raising effort in the university’s history.
“We both believe very strongly that the arts are an integral part of people’s lives,” Kathy Loo said. “Dusty and I feel that the Spencer Museum of Art is one of the best college museums in the country, and we want to maintain that.”
Museum director Andrea Norris said the proposed $20 million expansion would allow the museum to exhibit more of its artifacts. Now, only about 5 percent of its 21,000-piece collection is on exhibit at a time.
“Dusty and Kathy Loo have been wonderful supporters,” Norris said. “They’re very committed to the vision of the Spencer Museum.”
Norris wouldn’t say how much money had been pledged for the project, but said much more needed to be raised before an architect can be hired. No timetable has been placed on the project.
She also said she hoped the expansion which would increase the museum from 65,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet would help create more opportunities for community outreach and make its appearance more visitor-friendly.
“My perception is it looks like a treasure chest,” she said. “It would be wonderful, architecturally, if we could express the outreach to the community.”
Dusty Loo, a 1960 KU graduate in art, was president and CEO of Looart Press and Current Inc., a greeting card company his parents founded in 1947. He sold the company in 1987, then joined with his brother, Gary, to start the High Valley Group Inc., a Colorado Springs investment firm.
Kathy Loo, a 1961 KU graduate in political science, is a trustee for the Colorado Nature Conservancy and consults nonprofit organizations.
The Loos are members of the steering committee for “KU First: Invest in Excellence,” a three-year, $500 million fund-raising drive by the KU Endowment Association. Kathy Loo also is a KU Endowment trustee, and Dusty Loo is chair of the Spencer Museum of Art Advisory Board.
Kansas University officials on Thursday announced the first large donation toward the expansion of the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
KU alumni Lester “Dusty” Loo and Katherine Haughey Loo, Colorado Springs, Colo., will contribute $1.5 million toward the project, which will nearly double the museum’s size, KU announced.
The pledges count toward the $500 million goal of the KU First: Invest in Excellence drive, the largest fund-raising effort in the university’s history.
“We both believe very strongly that the arts are an integral part of people’s lives,” Kathy Loo said. “Dusty and I feel that the Spencer Museum of Art is one of the best college museums in the country, and we want to maintain that.”
Museum director Andrea Norris said the proposed $20 million expansion would allow the museum to exhibit more of its artifacts. Now, only about 5 percent of its 21,000-piece collection is on exhibit at a time.
“Dusty and Kathy Loo have been wonderful supporters,” Norris said. “They’re very committed to the vision of the Spencer Museum.”
Norris wouldn’t say how much money had been pledged for the project, but said much more needed to be raised before an architect can be hired. No timetable has been placed on the project.
She also said she hoped the expansion which would increase the museum from 65,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet would help create more opportunities for community outreach and make its appearance more visitor-friendly.
“My perception is it looks like a treasure chest,” she said. “It would be wonderful, architecturally, if we could express the outreach to the community.”
Dusty Loo, a 1960 KU graduate in art, was president and CEO of Looart Press and Current Inc., a greeting card company his parents founded in 1947. He sold the company in 1987, then joined with his brother, Gary, to start the High Valley Group Inc., a Colorado Springs investment firm.
Kathy Loo, a 1961 KU graduate in political science, is a trustee for the Colorado Nature Conservancy and consults nonprofit organizations.
The Loos are members of the steering committee for “KU First: Invest in Excellence,” a three-year, $500 million fund-raising drive by the KU Endowment Association. Kathy Loo also is a KU Endowment trustee, and Dusty Loo is chair of the Spencer Museum of Art Advisory Board.
Kansas University officials on Thursday announced the first large donation toward the expansion of the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
KU alumni Lester “Dusty” Loo and Katherine Haughey Loo, Colorado Springs, Colo., will contribute $1.5 million toward the project, which will nearly double the museum’s size, KU announced.
The pledges count toward the $500 million goal of the KU First: Invest in Excellence drive, the largest fund-raising effort in the university’s history.
“We both believe very strongly that the arts are an integral part of people’s lives,” Kathy Loo said. “Dusty and I feel that the Spencer Museum of Art is one of the best college museums in the country, and we want to maintain that.”
Museum director Andrea Norris said the proposed $20 million expansion would allow the museum to exhibit more of its artifacts. Now, only about 5 percent of its 21,000-piece collection is on exhibit at a time.
“Dusty and Kathy Loo have been wonderful supporters,” Norris said. “They’re very committed to the vision of the Spencer Museum.”
Norris wouldn’t say how much money had been pledged for the project, but said much more needed to be raised before an architect can be hired. No timetable has been placed on the project.
She also said she hoped the expansion which would increase the museum from 65,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet would help create more opportunities for community outreach and make its appearance more visitor-friendly.
“My perception is it looks like a treasure chest,” she said. “It would be wonderful, architecturally, if we could express the outreach to the community.”
Dusty Loo, a 1960 KU graduate in art, was president and CEO of Looart Press and Current Inc., a greeting card company his parents founded in 1947. He sold the company in 1987, then joined with his brother, Gary, to start the High Valley Group Inc., a Colorado Springs investment firm.
Kathy Loo, a 1961 KU graduate in political science, is a trustee for the Colorado Nature Conservancy and consults nonprofit organizations.
The Loos are members of the steering committee for “KU First: Invest in Excellence,” a three-year, $500 million fund-raising drive by the KU Endowment Association. Kathy Loo also is a KU Endowment trustee, and Dusty Loo is chair of the Spencer Museum of Art Advisory Board.
Kansas University officials on Thursday announced the first large donation toward the expansion of the Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art.
KU alumni Lester “Dusty” Loo and Katherine Haughey Loo, Colorado Springs, Colo., will contribute $1.5 million toward the project, which will nearly double the museum’s size, KU announced.
The pledges count toward the $500 million goal of the KU First: Invest in Excellence drive, the largest fund-raising effort in the university’s history.
“We both believe very strongly that the arts are an integral part of people’s lives,” Kathy Loo said. “Dusty and I feel that the Spencer Museum of Art is one of the best college museums in the country, and we want to maintain that.”
Museum director Andrea Norris said the proposed $20 million expansion would allow the museum to exhibit more of its artifacts. Now, only about 5 percent of its 21,000-piece collection is on exhibit at a time.
“Dusty and Kathy Loo have been wonderful supporters,” Norris said. “They’re very committed to the vision of the Spencer Museum.”
Norris wouldn’t say how much money had been pledged for the project, but said much more needed to be raised before an architect can be hired. No timetable has been placed on the project.
She also said she hoped the expansion which would increase the museum from 65,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet would help create more opportunities for community outreach and make its appearance more visitor-friendly.
“My perception is it looks like a treasure chest,” she said. “It would be wonderful, architecturally, if we could express the outreach to the community.”
Dusty Loo, a 1960 KU graduate in art, was president and CEO of Looart Press and Current Inc., a greeting card company his parents founded in 1947. He sold the company in 1987, then joined with his brother, Gary, to start the High Valley Group Inc., a Colorado Springs investment firm.
Kathy Loo, a 1961 KU graduate in political science, is a trustee for the Colorado Nature Conservancy and consults nonprofit organizations.
The Loos are members of the steering committee for “KU First: Invest in Excellence,” a three-year, $500 million fund-raising drive by the KU Endowment Association. Kathy Loo also is a KU Endowment trustee, and Dusty Loo is chair of the Spencer Museum of Art Advisory Board.
