Thornton's Inc. Gives One Million Dollars To Speed Art Museum

by Sheila AshThe Speed Art Museum as received a one million dollar donation from Louisville-based Thornton’s Inc.The money will go toward the Speed's $50 million capital campaign. Museum Director Charles Venable says the funds will be used to renovate and expand the museum."In the new space there’ll be a much more functional auditorium that can also be used for other things than just amphitheater style seating," he says. "There’ll be new shop, new restaurants, whole new floor for contemporary art, new temporary exhibition space."Construction will begin next May on the first phase of renovations, which will include a new driveway and water retention system. Fundraising will continue, but Venable declined to say how much money has been raised so far.