SALEM, MA — The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) announces that longtime museum supporters James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes have made a significant donation to enhance PEM’s 120,000-square-foot Collection Center in Rowley, Massachusetts. Their eight-figure gift supports the museum’s efforts to house, care for and improve access to its collection of over 800,000 works of art and culture, representing more than 12,000 years of global artistic and cultural creativity. The state-of-the-art facility will now be named the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center. In addition, the Hawkes have named the position of Director of Collections, now held by John Childs. The Center is also home to PEM’s Phillips Library, one of the oldest library collections in the country, which holds several hundred thousand volumes and one linear mile of archival material.
“This landmark gift will enhance museum operations for generations to come,” said Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, PEM’s Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO. “Thanks to the Hawkes family, PEM will be able to advance an extensive fit-up of the facility that will provide exemplary storage and care for our collection while facilitating greater access for our visitors, scholars, and staff.” Stuart Pratt, Chair of PEM’s Board of Trustees, added, “We are deeply moved by this act of supreme generosity. The magnitude of the Hawkes’ donation ensures that the museum’s vast and storied collections will be cared for at the highest standards, in perpetuity.”
James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes have been devoted leaders in the PEM community for nearly two decades. Recently assuming Trustee Emeritus status, Mr. Hawkes served on PEM’s Board of Trustees for 18 years and also served on the museum’s Executive, Finance, and Collections Committees. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes are active members of the Asian Export Art Visiting Committee, and Mrs. Hawkes is a member of PEM’s American Decorative Arts and Fashion Visiting Committees. The couple said, “as longtime champions of PEM, we are delighted to support the Collection Center, a facility that is critically important to the museum’s mission. Our gift ensures that PEM’s superlative collection is stewarded at the highest level and that more and more works are made increasingly accessible to the public.”
PEM celebrates outstanding artistic and cultural creativity through exhibitions, programming, and special events that emphasize cross-cultural connections, integrate past and present, and underscore the vital importance of creative expression. The museum's collection is among the finest of its kind, including superlative works from around the globe and across time — American art and architecture, American decorative arts, Asian and Asian export art, maritime, Native American, Oceanic, and African art, fashion and textiles and photography, as well as one of the nation’s most important museum-based collections of rare books and manuscripts.
“The importance of this gift and PEM’s profound appreciation cannot be overstated,” said John Childs, PEM’s James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Director of Collections. “The Hawkes’ kindness, sound judgment, and passion for the arts have been a guiding force for us all, and we are so honored that the Collection Center and the Director of Collections position will proudly bear their name.”
The Phillips Library Reading Room at the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center is open to the public by appointment each week from Wednesday through Friday. Learn more and plan your visit at pem.org/visit/library.
ABOUT THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM
Over the last 20 years, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has distinguished itself as one of the fastest-growing art museums in North America. Founded in 1799, it is also the country’s oldest continuously operating museum. At its heart is a mission to enrich and transform people's lives by broadening their perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge of themselves and the wider world. PEM's campus offers a varied and unique visitor experience with hands-on creativity zones, interactive opportunities, and performance spaces. Twenty-two noted historic structures grace PEM’s campus, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old Chinese home that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture in the United States. HOURS: Open Thursday–Monday, 10 am–5 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. ADMISSION: Adults $20; seniors $18; students $12. Members, youth 16 and under, and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission. INFO: Call 866-745-1876 or visit pem.org.
Media Contact
Whitney Van Dyke | Director of Marketing & Communications | whitney_vandyke@pem.org | 617-259-6722