Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum announced today that it has received a donation of $1 million from Cooper Hewitt trustee Kimberly Schuessler and Smithsonian National Board member Morgan (Mac) Schuessler, Jr. The gift will bring to life the museum’s exhibition and engagement programs through funds for operations and projects that elevate design on the national stage.
“We thank Kim and Mac for their incredible support of the museum,” said Maria Nicanor, director of Cooper Hewitt. “Through their generosity, Cooper Hewitt is better positioned to carry out its vital mission and help advance a deeper understanding of design as a public good.”
“Under Maria Nicanor’s leadership, Cooper Hewitt is exploding with a renewed energy and a bright future, and we are delighted to help support the museum,” said Kim Schuessler. “Through this gift, we hope to allow even more people to discover the crucial importance of design and its power to make our world better.”
“On behalf of my fellow trustees, I thank Kim and Mac for their generous donation, as well as their dedication to the museum and its staff,” said Jon Iwata, chairman of Cooper Hewitt’s board of trustees. “We are so grateful for the funding, which will support Cooper Hewitt and its slate of dynamic exhibitions and programming.”
ABOUT THE DONORS
Photo by Daniel Morris Photography.
Kimberly Schuessler is a figurative artist who divides her time between New York and Puerto Rico. Her work is sold in galleries and is included in private as well as corporate collections. She was also selected as the featured artist for a collaboration with Spanx. Schuessler joined Cooper Hewitt’s board in 2021 and currently serves as a board member of Lectores para el futuro (Readers for the Future) in Puerto Rico. She was formerly on the Georgia Council for the Arts and also served as a board member for Young Audiences, a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the University of Georgia.
Morgan (Mac) Schuessler, Jr. has over 30 years of experience in the payments and financial technology industry. He currently serves as president, CEO and board member of Evertec, one of the largest transaction processing companies in Latin America. Previously, he served as president of international for Global Payments, Inc., overseeing the company’s businesses outside of the Americas, spanning 23 countries throughout Europe and Asia. He is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization, as well as a board member of Endeavor Puerto Rico, Wharton Executive Education and the Smithsonian National Board. Schuessler holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University and Master of Business Administration from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, where he served on the dean’s advisory board for 13 years.
about cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum
Cooper Hewitt is America’s design museum. Inclusive, innovative and experimental, the museum’s dynamic exhibitions, education programs, master’s program, publications and online resources inspire, educate and empower people through design. An integral part of the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum, education and research complex—Cooper Hewitt is located on New York City’s Museum Mile in the landmarked Carnegie Mansion. Steward of one of the world’s most diverse and comprehensive design collections—over 215,000 objects that range from an ancient Egyptian faience cup dating to about 1100 BC to contemporary 3-D-printed objects and digital code—Cooper Hewitt welcomes everyone to discover the importance of design and its power to change the world.
For more information, visit www.cooperhewitt.org or follow @cooperhewitt on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
