The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fund Donates $1.5 Million to Endow Curator of Education Position at Allen Memorial Art Museum

A transformative gift of $1.5 million from the Eric & Jane Nord Family Fund has established an endowed position—dedicated to public education—at the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Creation of the Eric & Jane Nord Family Curator of Education guarantees the museum will be able to fulfill its mission of providing exemplary art education and exciting programs to Lorain County and the surrounding region for generations of visitors to come.

“The Nord family has been among the museum’s greatest benefactors for many decades,” said Museum Director Andria Derstine. “Indeed, the Nord gallery on the museum’s north side was named by Mr. and Mrs. Eric Nord, Mr. and Mrs. Evan Nord, Mr. and Mrs. David Ignat and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ignat in memory of Walter and Virginia Nord, and Nord family members have long supported significant AMAM projects and programs.”

Since its inception in the 1980s, the museum’s Education Department has provided programs for K-12 students and adults of all ages. As department curator since 2006, Jason Trimmer has developed innovative tours and community events, often in partnership with other local organizations such as the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA) and the Oberlin Heritage Center. In addition, Trimmer teaches the intensive “Practicum in Museum Education” course as a Winter Term option for Oberlin College students who wish to become museum docents.

Programs developed and offered through the AMAM’s Education Department include the First Thursday lecture series, Tuesday Teas, Sunday Object Talks, concerts, film screenings, and tours of the Weltzheimer-Johnson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Events offered in conjunction with other local organizations include Oberlin’s popular Chalk Walk, as well as teen workshops and summer camps. All are designed to broaden public appreciation for the visual arts.

The Eric & Jane Nord Family Fund has a strong commitment to greater Lorain County and supports a wide range of activities, including community development and arts education. “Through this gift, my family and I are very happy to ensure that arts education in the Oberlin community and Northeast Ohio continues to thrive, thanks to the excellent work of the AMAM staff,” said Emily McClintock (OC 1976), daughter of Eric and Jane Nord and a member of the AMAM’s Visiting Committee and the Oberlin College Board of Trustees.

Founded in 1917, the AMAM houses an encyclopedic collection of more than 14,000 objects selected to provide a comprehensive overview of the history of art from virtually every culture. It is recognized as one of the five best academic museums in the country, and is open free to all.