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535-Seat Theater Will Be Named for Walter and Leonore Annenberg
The Newseum announced that the Annenberg Foundation will give $15 million to support the museum of news opening Oct. 15 in Washington, D.C. In recognition of the gift, the Newseum will name its 535-seat theater the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater.
The gift is the largest received to date by the Newseum. In the last year, the Newseum has announced a total of $79 million in gifts from 11 media organizations, foundations and families, including the Annenberg Foundation, in support of the new Newseum.
"This very generous gift continues the tradition of the Annenberg Foundation supporting the advancement of a free press and better journalism," said Newseum CEO Charles L. Overby. "The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater will be one of the most used and talked-about venues in the Newseum."
The Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater is the largest of 15 theaters in the new Newseum and will offer a flexible presentation space, capable of seating 535 visitors for public programs, film screenings, debates, artistic performances and town-hall gatherings. In its primary daytime configuration, the Annenberg Theater will present a customized, high-tech, four-dimensional interactive time travel that transports visitors to great news events of history in a "you-are-there" experience combining museum-quality content with theme-park excitement.
"My husband, Walter, dedicated his life as a publisher, broadcaster, diplomat and philanthropist to communication, education and public service," said Leonore Annenberg, president and chairman of the Annenberg Foundation. "The Newseum will provide an exciting new venue for visitors of all ages to learn about the rich history of the communication world and the importance of a free press in all societies."
The Annenberg Foundation joins a consortium of Newseum founding partners that includes The New York Times - Ochs-Sulzberger Family; News Corporation; the Greenspun Family; Cox Enterprises; Hearst Corporation; ABC News; NBC News; the Pulliam Family; Robert H. and Clarice Smith; and Time Warner.
The Newseum in Washington, D.C., was made possible by a commitment of $450 million from the Freedom Forum, including $100 million to purchase the land at Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, NW.
About the Newseum
When it opens Oct. 15, the Newseum - a 250,000-square-foot museum of news -- will offer visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.
The Newseum will be located between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall. The exterior's unique architectural features include a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment and an immense front wall of glass through which passers-by will be able to watch the museum fulfilling its mission of providing a forum where the media and the public can gain a better understanding of each other.
The Newseum will feature seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It will offer a unique environment that takes museum-goers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made.
Web site: http://www.newseum.org/

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