FARGO, ND.- Representing the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Charitable Lead Unitrust, Doug and Brad Burgum announced a $200,000 grant to Plains Art Museum’s “Little Artist in All of Us” campaign at a reception there Tuesday. The grant was a response to the Museum’s request to fund its “Creativity Center for Lifelong Learning” portion of its campaign. The Unitrust, established with money from the late Katherine Kilbourne Burgum’s estate, is administered by Burgum’s children Barbara, Brad and Doug.

The Creativity Center includes a collaboration with Fargo Public Schools to provide teaching studios in the four buildings west of the current Museum. In addition to Fargo Public Schools, other area schools and educational entities have worked closely with artists, Museum staff and campaign officials to plan the facility. Slated for ground breaking in the fall of 2009 to open in the 2010/11 school year, when completed the Center will include clay-making, painting, drawing and sculpture capacity and gallery space.

The purpose of the reception at the Museum was to welcome new Museum director/CEO Colleen Sheehy, Ph.D. to the community. Sheehy was director of education at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis prior to beginning her duties with Plains Art Museum in October. Sheehy said, “We are deeply grateful for the generous grant from the Katherine Kilbourne Burgum Unitrust. This show of support will be truly transformative for the campaign and allow us to move forward with great momentum with our plans. It is a further honor for the Museum to be associated with the commitment to art in everyday life that exemplifies the creative spirit of Katherine Burgum.”

Katherine Kilbourne Burgum was born in 1915 in Minneapolis, Kansas, and moved to Fargo in 1923. Her high profile career included her role as Dean of the College of Home Economics at North Dakota State University, and as a community activist and leader who represented North Dakota in a variety of lead roles on the local, regional and national scene. Burgum was a great appreciator of the work of artists and craftsmen and a strong advocate for thoughtful design. She believed all people had the potential to shine in some endeavor.