The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York is among more than a dozen organizations earmarked to receive annual funding to bolster the region’s arts and culture community.
The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation on Thursday announced it was establishing the endowment at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The investment will create funding streams for 13 of the region’s “largest arts and culture institutions that play a critical role as economic drivers and provide an annual grant opportunity for additional arts and culture organizations across the region,” the foundation announced.
Among the 13 organizations is the National Comedy Center, which is slated to receive $250,000 annually.
The National Comedy Center is an American museum dedicated to comedy. The Museum and archive are located in Lucille Ball’s hometown of Jamestown, New York, and documents the history of comedy and the artists, producers, writers, cartoonists, and other notable figures who have influenced its development in the US.
At the museum, over 50 immersive experiences take visitors on a journey through comedy history, from early vaudeville acts to the latest viral memes. That journey varies for each visitor, according to a ‘humor profile’ created on entry and stored on an RFID wristband called a ‘Laugh Band’. Content is then presented according to individual tastes, from broad slapstick to edgy satire. Along with educational games and competitions, guests can also step into the shoes of comedy pros – creating their own comedic content with interactive activities like performing stand-up, recreating iconic funny faces, and creating their own comic strip.
“Establishing WNY as the nation’s official destination for the celebration of the art form of comedy — preserving its heritage and presenting its story for future generations — is a game-changer for the region,” said Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center executive director. “Visitors from all 50 states and 18 countries visited within weeks of our 2018 opening and the full impact of the establishment of this national and congressionally-designated cultural institution here will be felt exponentially for decades.
“Our regional economic impact is projected to exceed $22 million a year. This annual support allows our team to spend more time focused on fulfilling our core mission. It will also allow us to retain the talent needed to seize opportunities that stand to catapult the organization to new levels much sooner than otherwise possible.”
Of the $3.75 million in annual funding, a total of $3 million will be dedicated to the following 13 institutions including their annual grant allocation:
Buffalo AKG Art Museum ($500,000 annually)
Buffalo & Erie County Naval & Military Park ($100,000 annually)
Buffalo History Museum ($150,000 annually)
Buffalo Museum of Science ($200,000 annually)
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra ($500,000 annually)
Buffalo Zoo ($200,000 annually)
Burchfield Penney Art Center ($100,000 annually)
Explore & More: The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Children’s Museum ($200,000 annually)
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House ($100,000 annually)
Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor and anchor institutions ($100,000 annually)
National Comedy Center ($250,000 annually)
Shea’s Performing Art Center ($100,000 annually)
and The Strong National Museum of Play ($500,000 annually)
