A gentle May sun glossed the front steps of the Toledo Museum of Art. It was the day of the Kentucky Derby, and couples dressed in fascinating hats and pastel bowties walked hand-in-hand. Inside the museum, two men played the fiddle while people enjoyed mint juleps. In another room, small tables were set to inform whiskey palates at a guided Bourbon tasting. Then, just after 6:30 PM, everyone took their seats among the stately white columns of the Peristyle Theater, a softly lit auditorium built in 1933, to watch ‘the race’ on a large screen.
The Derby Party is one of many events organized by Circle 2445, a group dedicated to reshaping Toledoans’ experience with the Museum. The name is a reference to the Museum’s address on Monroe Street, as well as to the target age range of the group, 24 to 45.
Toledo is still shaking off some rust, but the Museum has been a shining jewel all along. It has 115 years of celebrated history and an incalculably valuable collection of over 30,000 works of art. Circle 2445 has been working to help people realize that the Museum is more than just a collection. It is also a stunning location filled with endless options to enrich a person’s understanding of art and experience.
Next Generation
“The group’s primary purpose is to promote involvement through activities,” said Adam Levine, the museum’s Assistant Director and Associate Curator. Levine is young for his degrees—he is 28, and has a Ph.D. in art history from Oxford, and a mathematics degree from Dartmouth. Levine identifies as a Millennial, the broad categorization of people born after 1980, and he believes that the museum, which is over 100 years old, still has plenty to offer for people who may be more acquainted with Twitter celebrities than classic artists.
“[T]he norm among 24-45 year-olds is to engage with events and not with organizations,” said Levine. “By inviting younger members of the Toledo community to more fully explore the Museum, we are both promoting one of the region's most significant quality of life amenities and providing a forum for people to meet each other.” Levine also believes that Circle 2445 is an investment for the Museum’s future. “Millenials are the future supporters of TMA [Toledo Museum of Art], and it is incumbent on us, as an institution, to engage them meaningfully now.”
A New Opportunity
Groups like Circle 2445 have existed throughout the history of the Museum, but this latest incarnation is only a few years old. The group has about 250 active members, and event attendance ranges anywhere from 50 to close to 300 people. To join the group costs just $25 per year in addition to the $55 museum membership fee. That fee provides exclusive access to Circle events, and despite the group’s target age range, membership is open to anyone.
Circle 2445 hosts a wild variety of events. In addition to the Derby Party, they have held yoga classes, after-hour flashlight tours of the museum, beer and art pairings, classes on visual literacy, and an Andy Warhol-themed party with live glass-blowing.
Katie Rofkar is Circle’s Programming Chair. She is a young mother and a business executive. She already visits the Museum with her daughter, but she also appreciates the opportunity to enjoy Circle events. “I like having adult time in addition to family time,” said Rofkar.
Greater Involvement
“We are not trying to increase visitorship… we are trying to increase deeper involvement,” said Amir Khan, President of the Circle 2445 Board. Khan grew up in Toledo, and he has been visiting the Museum all his life. He believes a lot of people attend the museum as children, and then need some spark to make them interested again. “The goal of Circle is to draw people back in,” said Khan.
“The Museum's collection and the 5000 years it represents provide an archive of creative expression,” said Adam Levine. Circle 2445 is trying to connect that archive, personally, with people in 2015.
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Dorian Slaybod is an attorney happily living in Toledo.
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