The Museum of Performance & Design is seeking donations to save its valuable collection of San Francisco’s rich cultural history.

The Museum is trying to raise $200,000 within the next few months to avoid the prospect of closing its doors. With the community’s support the Museum of Performance & Design can be saved and its extraordinary collection can remain intact!

Board President Dr. Cherie Mohrfeld states, “Because of the economic conditions the Board has begun to restructure the organization. We will continue to protect our treasures and make them available to the public.” The Museum has reduced its staff and cut back services but the Performing Arts Library is open by appointment, the special exhibition “More Life: Angels in America at Twenty” is open Friday’s from noon to five, and all other exhibitions are open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm (through August 13, 2011).

For over sixty years the Museum of Performance & Design (MPD) has preserved the history of the performing arts in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. The collection’s four million items cover all areas of the performing arts including objects ranging from the California Gold Rush to the most cutting-edge contemporary performances. David Gockley, General Manager of the San Francisco Opera states, “San Francisco’s cultural history could find no better custodian than the Museum of Performance and Design.

The breadth of their collection is testament to the artistic diversity for which this city is renowned.” Since 1947 the Museum has been committed to its mission of preserving and celebrating the performing arts and presenting them to the public through exhibitions, live events, research opportunities, and educational programs for young people and adults.

The vast collection is consulted annually by tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe. Among the items that could be lost without the public’s support are:

• The archive materials of such important artists as choreographer Anna Halprin, conductor Calvin Simons, and designers Sandra Woodall, Academy Award-winner Eiko Ishioka, and more
• Thousands of one-of-a-kind video recordings of performances from the Bay Area, from the smallest theatre companies to some of the most renowned world premieres in contemporary performing arts
• Original costumes from the Ballet Russes
  
• San Francisco Chinese Opera collection
  
• Archives of San Francisco Ballet, San Francisco Opera, Stern Grove Festival, Ethnic Dance Festival, San Francisco Boys Chorus, and others

Donors can make on line contributions to the museum at any time by clicking here.