Claremont Museum of Art Announces $1 Million Gift from Randall Lewis

Claremont, Calif. (March 24, 2022) – The Claremont Museum of Art is extraordinarily grateful and honored to have received a major endowment gift of $850,000 from long-time Claremont resident and philanthropist Randall Lewis. In addition, the Lewis family has given $150,000 for the Museum’s immediate needs. In recognition of these transformational gifts, the Board of Directors will soon modify the Museum’s name to Claremont Lewis Museum of Art.

This strategic endowment gift helps secure the future of our community Museum. It comes at a particularly opportune time in the evolution of the Museum, with two new galleries just completed and plans underway for expanded programming and accessibility to benefit the Claremont community and the region.

We are deeply appreciative of these very generous gifts, as they give us the opportunity to reimagine new, exciting ways to engage families and community members with the arts. This partnership will help lay the foundation for us to fulfill our commitment to the mission of the Museum for years to come.  – Elaine Turner, CMA Board President

With more than 45 years of experience in the real estate industry, Randall Lewis is Executive Vice President and a Principal of Lewis Management Corp., a member of the Lewis Group of Companies. He oversees the marketing activities for all regions of the organization. His broad areas of expertise include land acquisition, market research, product design, advertising and sales.

Randall’s philanthropy over the years has focused on health, education and the arts in this region. His initial major contribution to CMA in 2016 was the capstone gift to complete Phase 1 of the historic Claremont Depot renovation as the new home for the Claremont Museum of Art. Randall has continued to be a key supporter of the Museum in its formative years. The Inland Empire has benefited from several gifts from the Lewis family, including the Lewis Family Playhouse at Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, the Randall Lewis Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Claremont McKenna College, Lewis’ alma mater, the Lewis-San Antonio Healthy Communities Institute, as well as the Lewis Garden Pavilion at the California Botanic Garden. Randall and the Lewis family were recently honored as patrons of arts and culture by the City of Ontario in 2019. Randall and Janell Lewis and their three children, Sarah, Riley and Rosie, have spent the majority of their lives in Claremont and are active in numerous community endeavors.

It is an honor to support the Claremont Museum of Art and to raise awareness of this wonderful community asset. The arts are such a vital part of the Claremont experience, and it is my hope that the Museum will be able to play an even greater role in promoting and showcasing artistry and creativity. – Randall Lewis

The Lewis endowment gift will be invested in perpetuity, with only a portion of the interest and earnings spent annually in accordance with established industry practices. These annual spending amounts will be unrestricted and used to support the Museum’s operating budget. Consistent with the donor’s wishes, the $150,000 gift will be used immediately to provide a Challenge Grant to help complete Phase 2 of the Museum’s expansion and for capacity building and additional programming to increase public access.

In its first step to increase access, the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art is pleased to welcome the community to Free Fridays every Friday, from noon to 4pm, beginning April 1. CMA’s redesigned website, currently under construction, will be launched in mid-April showcasing the Museum’s new name and logo.

The Claremont Museum of Art is located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street next to the Metrolink Station. The museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. For more information visit https://claremontmuseum.org