Grand Rapids Art Museum Announces its First Endowed Position with Transformative $1.5 Million Gift
Generous gift establishes the ‘Dean and Helga Toriello Curator of Collections and Exhibitions’
GRAND RAPIDS, MI, February 11, 2025 — The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) announced today a $1.5 million gift by collectors and philanthropists Dean and Helga Toriello, establishing the Museum’s first ever endowed position. Held by Jennifer Wcisel, the Dean and Helga Toriello Curator of Collections and Exhibitions position leads the Museum’s program of rotating exhibitions and collection installations, as well as facilitates the growth of the museum’s permanent collection of 6,700 objects.
“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is immensely grateful to Dean and Helga Toriello for their generous support and bold leadership in establishing the first endowed position at GRAM,” commented Cindy Foley, GRAM’s Director and CEO. “The first of its kind, this gift endowing the lead curator position is an important moment in the Museum’s over 120-year history, ensuring dynamic, impactful exhibition programming and world-class curatorial talent for many years to come.”
The funding will permanently support the curatorial position and enables the curator’s work in key areas such as exhibition development, research, collection stewardship, programming, and interpretation.
Dean, a retired hand surgeon, and Helga, a medical geneticist, have a love of collecting that started in the 1980s with the purchase of a print by Alexander Calder. They have built a vast personal collection over the years and have been steadfast supporters of GRAM’s exhibition program.
When asked about their motivations for endowing this position, Dean referenced a favorite quote by Andy Warhol, “The idea is not to live forever, it is to create something that will.”
“I am deeply grateful to Dean and Helga for their faith and trust in me and my team’s work at GRAM,” added Jennifer Wcisel. “This endowment is a testament to the Toriellos’ extraordinary vision, generosity, and belief in the power of art.”
Jennifer Wcisel is the Dean and Helga Toriello Curator of Collections and Exhibitions of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, where she has served on the curatorial team since 2015. She leads the Museum’s diverse program of rotating exhibitions, including traveling and independently organized exhibitions. She is responsible for the stewardship of GRAM’s permanent collection, which she activates through original exhibitions, installations, research, community programs, and publications. She has facilitated several important acquisitions for the collection during her tenure, including works by Kelly Church, Guy Carleton Wiggins, Jenny Holzer, Hwa-Jeen Na, Christopher Myers, and Mario Moore.
Her recent curatorial projects include Jess T. Dugan: Look at me like you love me, Mario Moore: Revolutionary Times (with the Flint Institute of Arts), and Each year this blood shall change and blossom: Christopher Myers on Myth and Migration. Wcisel holds a Master of Arts Administration from Indiana University, Bloomington, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids.
About the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the Museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and status as the world’s first LEED® Gold certified art museum. Founded in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include 6,700 works of art, including American and European 19th and 20th-century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing, GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft. For museum hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org.
Photo: Jennifer Wcisel, the Dean and Helga Toriello Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
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