As you may know, the Swope strives to give our visitors the highest quality experience we can through special exhibitions, classes, free tours, and public programs, but recently we have been challenged in providing the best visitor experience possible because a number of our light fixtures are failing.

Thus, we come to you with a request to help us replace our exhibition fixtures. Within the past few months, we’ve irrevocably lost ten fixtures, and now fourteen more are currently in a state of attempted repair. The Let There Be Lights campaign, pursued with help from Indiegogo, focuses on replacing the twenty lost fixtures, which comprise a mere 10% of the 200 fixtures we use to light the Swope’s galleries. As time progresses, we know that we will need to replace additional fixtures that are already showing signs of expiration, but with this campaign, we hope to get and stay ahead of the curve.

Each fixture (Edison Price Magic Wand AR70, see image above) is available to us at the base price of $276.32; the base price does not include the UV or diffusing filters that we use to help protect our artwork during light exposure, nor shipping and handling fees. The Swope must raise 85% of its needed operating income each year, meaning that an unexpected purchase of this size greatly strains our resources.

With your help, we can continue to provide you, our visitors, with an optimal viewing experience. Funds raised through this campaign, regardless of whether or not we reach our goal, will be used to purchase and ship replacement fixtures, with a small portion set aside to offset the campaign fees.

Please, won’t you consider aiding our efforts to continue shedding light on our wonderful collection of American art?

*Every donor who contributes will be included on this campaign acknowledgement page as well as in our Spring newsletter and annual report.