Taylor Swift Donates $4 Million to Country Music Hall of Fame for New Project
Taylor Swift has pledged $4 million to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the Country Music Hall of Fame announced today.
The money will be used to fund a new education center at the museum located in Nashville, Tennessee. The more than 7,500 square foot space, will encompass parts of two floors and feature three classrooms and a children's exhibit gallery. The center will open in early 2014.
"Swift's gift is the largest capital contribution by an individual artist in the museum's 45-year history, prompting the museum to name the new space the Taylor Swift Education Center," The Country Music Hall of Fame said in a statement.
The gift was made in conjunction with Working on a Building: Country Music Lives Here, the capital campaign that will finance the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's expansion from 140,000 square feet to more than 350,000 square feet.
Swift has for years been a generous supporter of the museum, performing for the institution's 2007 All for the Hall New York, 2009 We're All for the Hall and 2010 All for the Hall Los Angeles benefits.
The Grammy-Award winning singer has also loaned the museum dresses, stage costumes and instruments for display; a free-standing, Taylor Swift multimedia exhibit has been one of the museum's most popular attractions since its debut in May, 2010.
"By stepping forward to fund our education center, she has once again demonstrated that she has an eye on our industry's future. We are deeply indebted to Taylor for this wonderful gift, which will help us continue to fulfill our educational mission and serve our worldwide audience," Museum director Kyle Young said.
The Museum's mission is the preservation of the history country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. It currently offers educational programs such as Words & Music; distance learning programs; and family programs such as the Musical Petting Zoo.
