The Crowd: Balboa Island Museum undertakes ambitious campaign
The Balboa Island Museum enters its second decade serving both the local and visiting community with unique exhibits and events focused on the nautical and marine history of the California Riviera.
Named by voters as the best museum in Orange County by Los Angeles Times readers for the past several years, the museum is free to the public financed via private individual and corporate donations and public/civic support.
In the hands of founder Shirley Pepys working with her daughter, Tiffany Pepys Hoey, executive director and curator, the museum enters 2024 with great need.
With the support of a board of directors led by John Conners, an executive with Goldman Sachs, and a roster of community leaders, the team launches a multiyear campaign to support the museum’s daily existence in conjunction with an ambitious effort to raise significant funding to purchase the museum property at 210 Marine Avenue on Balboa Island.
The community at large has rallied in support.
“Our museum members and donors love this gallery,” Pepys said recently at the annual museum fundraiser billed “Denim & Diamonds” held at the Fun Zone with support from the David Pyle family, museum donors and advocates.
“Balboa Island Museum is a community treasure,” she continued. “Programs year-round benefit students from preschool through college. We support our local veterans with events and ceremonies. The Galleries, of which there are many, offer both permanent and moving exhibits on the history, pioneers and culture of the marine legacy of Newport Beach and Orange County overall.”
Pepys noted that civic leaders have helped keep the facility open. “Supervisor Katrina Foley made a generous grant to the museum this year as well as grants from the Newport Beach City Council over many years,” Pepys said. “As the only 501c3 local Newport museum operating solely on donations, we seek more government support to preserve and protect this legacy for Newport and for future generations.”
Mainstay funding has been provided for the museum’s operating expenses by Julia and George Argyros and recently in the past two years by their daughter, Lisa Argyros, honoring her mother’s ongoing love for the museum’s work with families in the community. Over the holidays Julia Argyros visited the museum with friends Wendy Hales and Neil Kite to check out the latest exhibits.
“It was wonderful to see Julia,” commented executive director Tiffany Pepys Hoey. “We gave her the royal tour displaying all the current gallery exhibits.”
“December 2024 was a milestone month,” added Hoey. “We welcomed over 8,000 visitors to the museum and raised significant monthly income from membership, donations and gift shop sales. We need December’s [fundraising] success every month of the year!”
Additional major ongoing support comes from passionate donors including Paula Castanon, Richard Castanon, Don and Gwen Abrams, Jack and Jean Norhrup, and John Scudder, grandson of the late woman entrepreneur and potato chip mogul Laura Scudder. John Scudder is set to address the community at the museum’s monthly guest lecture series honoring women of accomplishment in coming months.
Also front and center for the museum are James Quandt, Barbara Abbott, Keith Curry, Cynthia Shafer, David Beek, Dennis Bress, Lorraine Leavitt, Jeff Gehl, John and Diane Conners, John V and Kingsley Croul, mega-sports agent Jeff Morad, Stan and Renee Lowe, Pepys’ family members very involved in day-to-day operations and future development, Burton and Linda Young, Ron Salisbury, Sue Sibley and Stuart Winston of Lugano Diamonds, to name only a few.
On the slate of events open to the community coming up this quarter is a historic overview exhibit of the Irvine Ranch featured in the main gallery in January. On Thursday, the California Associates, a legendary Southern California philanthropic organization, toured the museum, addressed by local leaders Seymour Beek and John Vallely, followed by a luncheon event across the street at Wilma’s Patio.
Future events include Irvine Ranch historian Mike Stockstill on Feb. 29; Cabrillo Points Academy will visit on March 6 and John Scudder will speak on March 28. A Vietnam Vets Pinning Ceremony takes place on March 29.
“We realize the enormity of our building fund goal this year, but we also believe it is possible to accomplish. Donors large and small are important. Come visit us and share in the spirit and the goal,” said Pepys.
Indeed, spirit and passion can turn into building funds. To learn more about Balboa Island Museum and its many events and membership opportunities, visit balboaislandmuseum.org or call Tiffany Pepys Hoey at (949) 675-3952.
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