IU School of Art, Architecture + Design renamed for Sidney and Lois Eskenazi after $20M gift

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Art, Architecture + Design has announced a landmark gift of $20 million from Indianapolis-based philanthropists Sidney and Lois Eskenazi. This is the largest gift in the school's history and coincides with the university's celebration of IU Day.

The school will be renamed the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design in recognition of the couple's generosity and longstanding commitment to IU and the arts. The Eskenazis' gift will provide support for student scholarships, faculty development, academic programs, research initiatives and facility support for the school, which offers degree programs in 14 areas of study.

"This outstanding gift will have a transformative impact on the new Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, dramatically enhancing its mission to provide a state-of-the-art education in art, architecture and innovative design for students seeking careers in these areas and in businesses and industries where design is fundamental to their success," IU President Michael A. McRobbie said. "Indiana University is extremely grateful to Sidney and Lois Eskenazi for furthering our rich and longstanding traditions in the arts and humanities, for helping us contribute to a vibrant culture of building and making across the Hoosier state, and for their remarkable continued generosity to the university."

As part of the gift, a special endowment will be established to fund a new Lois Eskenazi Scholarship for incoming first-year students who are interested in painting. The gift will also support a new "Fund for Excellence" that will be used for scholarships, fellowships, visiting artists and scholars, research funding, equipment, facilities, and other special projects.

Read more: https://news.iu.edu/stories/2019/04/iu/releases/10-soaad-eskenazi-naming.html