QUARTERLY - Vero Beach Museum of Art

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Donor Profile
ANNE F. FORBES
Anne Forbes was born on Long Island, NY, and spent her childhood
there. At an early age Anne was an avid reader and remembers first
becoming interested in art while reading Fairy Tales by Hans
Christian Anderson and being enchanted with the book’s
illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. “I was recently reminded of that
childhood experience while playing bridge at a friend’s home in
Vero Beach. I found myself drawn to a Wyeth painting they had
hanging above their fireplace and I then recognized it as one of
my favorite illustrations from that book of fairy tales.” Anne pursued
her interest in academics, athletics and art at the Mary
Burnham School in Massachusetts and then the Connecticut
College for Women, where she graduated with a B.A. in literature
and minor in art history.
After college Anne took a position with a large company as
an executive secretary, but after a short while she married and left
the job to dedicate her time to caring for her family. “When my
children reminisce about growing up, it’s always mentioned that I
couldn’t seem to pass by an antique store without stopping in and
purchasing some small treasure. As a result, you can imagine that
our home was packed full of antiques and art.” Today many of
those treasures can be found in the homes of her children. “My
five children are the most important thing to me and I’m most
proud of their interests and accomplishments. Three of my children
have successful careers in the arts: my daughter Susan was
Director of Development for the Tampa Art Museum, and later
she became an artist representative for Sotheby’s and is now a
fashion designer; Elisa is a professor at Eastern Washington
University and a ceramic sculptor married to an artist; and my
son, Michael, is an architect.
Spending most of her life in New York, Anne enjoyed the hustle
and bustle of the city but also valued her quiet time. “I would
often visit one of my favorite museums, The Frick Collection, sit
in the atrium and look at the art, or take walks in Central Park
and people-watch to find interludes of tranquility.” The first time
that Anne lived outside of New York was in the early 1980s when
her late husband’s ship building business took them to Tampa, FL.
“While we were in Tampa, the new Tampa Museum of Art was
being built. I volunteered at their fundraising events and we
became two of their first patrons.” The Forbes later resided in
Rhode Island and supported the building of a new wing at the
Newport Art Museum.
In 2000, Anne started the Anne F. Forbes Family Foundation
because she wanted philanthropy to be a family affair and her
children to experience the joy of giving back to the community.
“Making the giving decisions brings us together, gives us
a common purpose and promotes a wonderful feeling of
generosity.”
While still in New York, Anne heard about Vero Beach and its
museum from friends and, after visiting, she decided to make it
her home in 2001. Anne joined the Museum as a Chairman’s Club
member and each year since, through her foundation, has been a
generous sponsor of the Museum’s major exhibitions, including
A Wilder Image Bright: Hudson River School Paintings from the
Manoogian Collection, Ships and Shorelines: William Bradford and
Nineteenth-Century American Marine Painting and this season’s
Beyond Reality: Hyperrealism and American Culture. “Exhibitions
are an important source of learning for the community’s
children, especially through Museum programs such as the School
Transportation Fund that promotes visits of students from the
local schools. I wish I’d had that opportunity when I was in
elementary school.”
Welcome New Members and Upgrades
(from 11/30/11 – 2/14/12) *for Benefactor and above categories only
Director’s Gold Society
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Graham
Dennis and Barclay Kass
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Kelsey
Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Smith
Director’s Silver Society
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Carney II
Chairman’s Club
Mr. Michael Borghi
Mr. and Mrs. Faris F. Chesley
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan M. Clark
Ms. Ellen Bellet Gelberg
Mr. and Mrs. Richard McKernan
Gisela Kenyon and Dieter Kahlbetzer
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Prein
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rush
Mrs. Geri Anne Skirkanich
Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Tremml
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Wessell
Patron
Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Coviello
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Estes
Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Puff, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Weisbaum
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Wonham
Donor
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen S. Anderson
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bergeman
Mr. and Mrs. Truman S. Casner
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert P. Earle, Jr.
Mark Ferdinand and Bonnie Agnew
Ms. Judith A. Jester
Mrs. Nancy B. Langhorne
Mrs. William G. Lynch, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond N. Merena
Mr. and Mrs. Howard R. Merriman, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur M. Scutro, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Siegfried
Mr. and Mrs. Alan N. Vincent
Benefactor
Mr. and Mrs. John Apo
Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Atkinson
Mr. and Mrs. David H. Banta
Mr. and Mrs. John Bartlett
Mr. and Mrs. James P. Bashleben
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Benham
Ms. Pat Bingleman
Dr. and Mrs. Cary Blaydes
Jonna Chewning
Carol Christensen and
Erik Christensen
Mr. and Mrs. George Connelly
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Curt
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Delaney
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Dill
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Dubord
Ms. Pamela Gale
Mrs. Gladys Gillespie
Mr. and Mrs. David Goodrich
Mr. and Mrs. David P. Gruber
W. Dolores Gruppe
Ms. Carolyn L. Guest
Mrs. Marilyn C. Hammond
Mr. and Mrs. Albert C. Horton
Ms. Kathleen G. Johnson
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Johnston
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kasten II
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Keeler
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Kucinsky
Jon P. Larrick
Mr. Stuart Larsen and
Dr. Bonny Larsen
Mr. and Mrs. John T. Lewis
Mr. James G. Lindley
Mr. and Mrs. William Lower
Mr. and Mrs. John B. Lynch
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Madigan, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Matheson
Ms. Lois C. McNichol
Ms. Patricia Murphy
Mr. and Mrs. Roger A. Murray
Ms. Ruth Peters
Mrs. Christina B. Purinton
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Schaus
Merrill Sehulster
Join the Circle of Friends
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry F. Stone, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John Tharpe
Ms. Agnes C. Underwood
Mr. Walter W. Weber, Jr.
Mr. Charles M. Weis
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Wigdale
Mr. and Mrs. Lauren S. Williams
Mr. Dennis Wilt
Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Zimmermann
Business Benefactor
Palm House Gallery
MEMORIALS
(from 11/30/11 – 2/14/12)
William J. Bumsted
Mrs. Lois Appleby
Lucinda Gedeon and Francis Sprout
Helen Fewsmith
Eben and Mary Cockley
Barbara B. Hauptfuhrer
Gift to the Annual Fund
Mr. George J. Hauptfuhrer, Jr.
Lucinda Gedeon and Francis Sprout
Barbara Lewis
Mary Jo Robertson
TRIBUTES
(from 11/30/11 – 2/14/12)
In honor of Joan Sposato Bowers
Gift to the Jean Johnson
Endowment Fund for Docents
Andria Chiodo
Philip and Louisa Dreety
In honor of Laura and Bill Buck
Gift to D’art for Art
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert D. Condie III
In honor of
Mr. and Mrs. James Henderson
Robert and Karen Kennedy
The Circle of Friends, a group of philanthropic women committed to the
ensuring that the visual arts remain accessible to all, will meet March 15th and
will make their final vote on the Museum’s Community Engagement programs
they will support on April 16th. It is not too late to join this vibrant group! Call
Robyn Orzel at (772) 231-0707 ext. 106 for more information.