Cast Bronze Commemoration in the 21st Century
I really do know that the sculpted bronze castings on the left that we conceived of and just installed as part of an extensive for a Centennial celebration at the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany GA are not really comparable in beauty to Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise below.
Michaelangelo named the masterpiece "The Gates of Paradise"
Yet they really are lovely and I show them here because they represent a unique evolution in bronze castings. All it takes to cast an image in bronze like ours for Phoebe is good photography and an understanding of how lights and darks within a photo will translate into the “highs” and “lows” of a casting. Anyone’s photo can result in a three dimensional cast metal product.
An age-old tradition (remember the “Bronze Age“?), cast plaques have been a standard for commemoration and donor recognition literally for centuries. Yet just in my lifetime, hand-set type has replaced by photographic typographical reproduction which meant that logos and anyone’s typestyle preferences could be reproduced in bronze perfectly. This photographic advancement in castings (bronze and aluminum) is called “Imagecast” by Matthews, is a natural “next step” for the industry.
We’ve been using Imagecast reproductions as a replacement for hand-sculpted castings for quite awhile whenever it’s appropriate for a client’s need. Certainly it is cheaper than having an artist sculpt for a casting in bronze. And at the same time, since the outcome is a realistic, almost exact, reproduction of an image, the impact is much more meaningful to most viewers and donors. It’s a treat to have the pleasure of seeing a cast image as a replica of the photographic image .
And here’s one more photo of the entire Gallery on the 2nd floor. The 1st floor here houses their completely re-purposed and renovated Distinguished Leadership Gallery which was completed at the same time. This newly recharged philanthropy center celebrates this community’s remarkable commitment to giving and is an absolutely beautiful conclusion to a very satisfying client relationship.
Distinguished Leadership and Centennial Galleries at Phoebe Putney Hospital
Written by Robin E. Williams
Naming Opportunity? Please! No!
Enjoy this with a smile. And then, if you are a fundraiser, be horrified!
Highlights form 2010 GivingUSA Survey
Last week, at the monthly AFP Breakfast, David King, President of Alexander Haas presented a summary of findings from this year’s GivingUSA comprehensive survey on American Philanthropy. And then this week, fundraising consultant, Bruce Flessner of Bentz, Whaley, Flessner, while agreeing in concept with King’s interpretations, expanded my view further at the regional Association for Healthcare Philanthropy meeting in Orlando. Continue reading »
Extreme Success: Proactive Donor Recognition Strategy Leads to Greater Giving
Today, fundraisers are enacting “proactive stewardship plans,” visions that are defined by strategic plans fostering long-term, ever-growing relationships and emphasizing programmatic consistency. For years, we have promoted this “think, before you thank” philosophy. Specifically, we encourage you to thank existing donors with the express purpose of enhancing the relationship you have with them, while forging a greater tradition of giving within your community as a whole. Continue reading »
AAMC Institutional Advancement Group Conference-This Week!
This week, Anne and I will be in Nashville, Tennessee, for a conference we’ve never participated in before: The American Association of Medical Colleges, Group on Institutional Advancement. It’s a relatively small conference and so we look forward to meaningful interface with those finding themselves ensconced, particularly, in a capital campaign. Whether actively engaged in the campaign or involved in feasibility studies for one, if there is a moment not to be missed by fundraisers, it is the “capital campaign moment”. It is actually the most crucial time to think about thanking in new ways . As one assesses all of their administrative and fundraising “systems”, programmatic donor recognition is not to be overlooked. Continue reading »
