In 2017, the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature purchased its current facility on Mission Drive in Solvang with a $1.6 million loan from the Adams Legacy Foundation, and planned out a 10-year timetable for repayment.
The museum’s board of directors recently announced that the nonprofit has paid off its mortgage in full, five years ahead of schedule, thanks to careful fiscal management and support from several donors, according to the museum.
“It’s an amazing feeling to have paid off the mortgage five years early, and we’re so excited to be developing plans for the next several years to make us even more accessible and relevant to our community,” Stacey Otte-Demangate, the museum’s executive director, said in a statement.
During some recent meetings, both the museum’s board of directors and advisory council discussed the possible expansion of educational offerings in 2023, with more classes and hands-on art experiences for families to enjoy during their visits.
“I can proudly say we’ve come a long way to arrive at this exciting time,” Patti Jacquemain, founder of the Wildling Museum, said in the statment. “I cannot express how excited I am about what we have accomplished.
“We have ‘burned our mortgage,’” Jacquemain added, “and will continue to provide top-of-the-line art exhibitions, informative programs, and educational classes on both art, nature, and our vanishing environment.”
The Wildling Museum’s next free event is the Holiday Marketplace, which will be held on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A collection of wildlife and nature-themed gifts created by local vendors will be available for sale, including a copper hummingbird artwork (pictured) by artist Gretchen Foran. Featured artisans at the event include fabric artist Laura Bankoff, printmaker Barbara Booth, and several others.
For more details, call (805) 686-8315 or visit wildlingmuseum.org. The Wildling Museum is located at 1511 Mission Drive, unit B, Solvang.
