The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina receives a $500K Donation

Philanthropic Announcement from The Gibbes Museum of Art  

Robert and Christina Brinkman Donate $500,000 to the Gibbes Museum  

The Gibbes Museum of Art, a beacon in the American South since its establishment in 1858, announces the gift of $500,000 from Robert and Christina Brinkman in honor of one of the Museum’s headline exhibition spaces. 

The Robert and Christina Brinkman Gallery encompasses 1,600 square feet, and hosts a variety of exhibitions presented throughout the year ‒ including the national traveling shows the Museum brings to Charleston, and the award-winning original exhibitions created by the Gibbes’ curatorial team. This gift will help fund ongoing renovations, future enhancements, and improvements to the Museum.

“The Gibbes Museum of Art is honored by this generous gift from Robert and Christina Brinkman,” says Angela Mack, the Museum’s President and CEO. “The Brinkmans have adopted Charleston as their home, and demonstrated their incredible passion for the visual arts by choosing to celebrate the work of our Museum. Their generosity reflects a personal commitment to impacting the arts in our community,” adds Mack. 

“From the moment we moved to Charleston, we were immediately drawn to the Gibbes Museum,” says 
Robert Brinkman. “The visual arts are always a special priority for us, and the Gibbes Museum engages with art lovers in a meaningful way that makes a difference.” 

“We hope that others will join our family in championing the Gibbes Museum,” says Christina Brinkman. “We love the work this museum team is doing, which allows so many people to make personal connections with art.” 

The Brinkmans are collectors of contemporary art, and are originally from Rochester, New York. They made Charleston their home three years ago. Christina serves on the Gibbes Museum’s Collections Committee. Prior to his retirement, Robert Brinkman was the Chairman of Brinkman International Group, which specializes in precision machining and machine tool building. Christina Brinkman is a celebrated artist currently known for her ceramics, porcelain and metal work. She has worked as an artist all her life, and has artist studios in Charleston and Rochester. Her art is featured in museum collections, and in private and corporate collections. View Christina Brinkman’s works at christinabrinkman.com and on her artist page on Instagram. 

About the Gibbes Museum of Art  

The Gibbes Museum of Art, a beacon in the American South for arts and culture since 1858 when the Museum’s art collection was founded as the Carolina Art Association, is heralded as one of the earliest and most longstanding arts institutions in the United States. The Museum’s collection spans 350 years, and features some of the country’s most celebrated artists ‒ including contemporary, modern and historical works. With world-class rotating exhibitions and a dynamic visiting artist residency program, the Gibbes is a southern museum with a global perspective. The Museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality, providing opportunities to learn and discover, to enjoy and be inspired by the creative process. 

Museum hours and visitor info at: www.gibbesmuseum.org/visit