Generous Contribution to Lesley
As The Art Institute of Boston (AIB) approaches its 100th year, a Lesley alumna and trustee and her husband have pledged $2 million towards a new facility planned in Cambridge. In recognition of their generosity and their ongoing commitment to Lesley University and AIB, Lesley’s new Arts library will be named the Carol and John Moriarty Arts Center Library in their honor.
The new Arts Center will be constructed in Cambridge, uniting AIB students, faculty, and year-round arts event programming with the Lesley University campus. The Carol and John Moriarty Arts Center Library will be within a historic church building fronting Massachusetts Avenue, an exciting new purpose for an 1845 Greek revival building.
The Moriartys have pledged $2 million towards the new Arts Center, comprised of the repurposed church and new construction with art studios, classrooms, and art galleries in the heart of Cambridge’s Porter Square.
Cornerstone of Learning
The library, open to all students and accessible to the community, serves a university where more than 30 percent of all students are engaged with the arts, through AIB or programs in Creative Arts and Learning, community art, and Expressive Therapies.
“In any educational environment, the library serves as a cornerstone of exploration and learning, and this one is no exception,” said Lesley University President Joseph B. Moore. “Physically, it preserves the best of the building’s history — stunning stained glass windows and nineteenth century architecture — creating an inspirational environment to study, gather, and explore the collection and modern research tools.”
The Arts Center Library will be within a historic church building fronting Massachusetts Avenue in Porter Square, shown in this rendering.
Integrating Arts with Education
“Carol and John’s philanthropy will be felt by students in the space bearing their name for decades to come, and we’re honored by their joining with us to create this vibrant center of art and learning,” said Moore.
“We live in a time where the arts in education are continually sacrificed in the name of budget cuts and meeting academic standards,” said Carol Moriarty. “It’s a unique aspect of Lesley’s education that the arts are a central component of education and healthy communities. That’s what makes this facility so special — a place not only for AIB students to learn and create, but also benefiting students throughout a university that integrates the arts with education, healing, and community building. We’re proud to play a role in that legacy, in impacting the important work all Lesley students will do throughout their careers.”
“Carol and I are delighted to invest in Lesley’s future and the building of an Arts Center that will benefit AIB, all of Lesley and the Cambridge community,” said John Moriarty.
Groundbreaking for the new Arts Center is anticipated for fall of 2012.