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Dan Lagiovane,
Media Relations Manager |
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For Immediate Release Contact: Dan Lagiovane (412) 622-3361 March 10, 2005 Richard King Mellon Foundation gives $3 million Gift
for Pittsburgh ... Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh announced that the Richard King Mellon Foundation has given $3 million in support of the Dinosaurs in Their World project, which will transform Carnegie Museum of Natural History's existing Dinosaur Hall into a group of dynamic new exhibits featuring the museum's renowned dinosaur collection. "The foundation is pleased to be able to participate in the creation of a new home for the extensive collection of dinosaurs accumulated over the years by Carnegie Museum of Natural History," said Seward Prosser Mellon, president of the Richard King Mellon Foundation. "The new exhibits will attract an increasing number of visitors and provide great excitement for our school-age children." Carnegie Museum of Natural History begins its transformation of Dinosaur Hall next Monday, March 14, after a gala celebration on Friday, March 11, and a weekend of family events at the museum sponsored by Dollar Bank. It will be the last time visitors will see the hall in its current state before the expansion and renovation project begins. "This project would not have been possible without the generous support of the Richard King Mellon Foundation and other good friends of the museum," said Bill DeWalt, director of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. "We're eager to get started after this weekend's groundbreaking festivities, and we look forward to creating a truly spectacular group of exhibits that will set Pittsburgh apart as the definitive place in the world to see and learn about dinosaurs." Dinosaurs in Their World will occupy nearly three-times the space of the current Dinosaur Hall and depict dinosaurs surrounded by dramatic reconstructions of their prehistoric environments. Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous dinosaurs that lived tens of millions of years apart will be separated into distinct areas and repositioned in scientifically accurate poses. Many never-before-exhibited specimens will also be added to the exhibit. The public will be able to watch the disassembly, re-mounting, and reinstallation of dinosaur fossils as the work takes place. "Our goal is to make the museum's dinosaur exhibits a spectacular 'first-day' attraction for the region," DeWalt said. A long-time supporter of Carnegie Museums, the Richard King Mellon Foundation was created in 1947 by Richard King Mellon, chairman of Mellon Bank, conservationist, and dominant figure in the financial, industrial, and civic life of Pittsburgh for many years. Among the largest independent foundations in the United States, the Foundation makes grants in four program areas, each with a southwestern Pennsylvania focus: economic development; educational support for universities, parochial, independent, and charter schools; system reform; and families, youth, and child development. Additionally, in the field of Conservation, the Foundation continues its national American Land Conservation Program and maintains a special focus on environmental needs in Pennsylvania. Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. In 2004, the museums reached 1.5 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events. # # #
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