Offut gifts $500,000 to Westport Art Center

Westport, CT—Daniel Edward Offutt, III has gifted $500,000 to the Westport Arts Center. This generous gift comes at an exciting time of growth and development as the Westport Arts Center expands its programming, reach and physical footprint.

The organization will open the doors to its new space in September as MoCA Westport. The foyer inside MoCA Westport’s 19 Newtown Turnpike building will bear the name of Daniel Edward Offutt, III, honoring his spirit of philanthropy and love of life. The foyer will include the museum’s reception desk, donor wall and projection wall that will announce upcoming programs and exhibitions.

Amanda Innes, Executive Director of the Westport Arts Center, states:

“We know that Dan cherished the bonds of friendship and he was a dear friend of the Westport Arts Center. We are privileged that his love for people and creative initiatives is so great that it continues to impact our community today. His generosity is boundless and we’re grateful for this gift. We know Dan would have loved to see our organization grow, and we’re pleased his name will have permanence in our new space, greeting visitors as they arrive.”

Born in Oakland, Maryland in 1931, Mr. Offutt attended the University of Maryland and earned an MBA at Columbia University. He enjoyed a successful career as a stock market investor, and retired to Weston, CT, where he resided for 30 plus years. His farm featured his own whimsical, metal sculptures and a beautiful tobacco barn he moved from a property upstate and reassembled with friends.

The Westport Arts Center is grateful to Daniel Edward Offutt, III, and to trustee Richard Orenstein, who fulfills Mr. Offutt’s vision to provide opportunities for people to engage their imagination.

Richard Orenstein, foundation trustee, says:

“Dan, being an amateur artist himself, wanted to support education and art institutions. His gift was inspired by the direction the Westport Arts Center is headed, and we’re pleased that Dan’s legacy can support that growth.”

About the organization

The Westport Arts Center, a 501(c)(3) organization, which has been a cornerstone of the Westport arts community for the last 50 years, is undergoing a significant expansion in order to bring even more rich and diverse programming to Westport. Exhibitions and performances from visual arts to classical music will be featured year round at the newly named MoCA Westport to inspire art enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. In addition, a unique education program, The Academy @MoCA Westport, will provide semi-private instruction weekly to allow students to discover their own interpretations of the current gallery exhibitions. MoCA Westport’s inaugural year begins on 9.22.19 and will be celebrated with works from globally renowned artists and locally impactful artists alike.

The organization receives philanthropic support from the Katherine and Howard Aibel Foundation; Artur and Heida Hermanns Holde Foundation, Inc.; Cohen and Wolf, P.C.; Delamar Southport; Design Within Reach; Fairfield County Bank; Fairfield County’s Community Foundation; 4th Row Films; First County Bank Foundation; Gway Printing and Graphics; the Hall Art Foundation; The Hofstetter Baron Group; J.P. Morgan; Moffly Media; Newman’s Own Foundation; Daniel Edward Offutt, III; Shack Sackler Foundation; Sontag Advisory LLC; SRI Fine Art Services; Wells Fargo Advisors; Westport Resources, a division of United Capital; WPKN and WSHU Public Radio Group. The Westport Arts Center operates with the support of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

For more information, contact the Westport Arts Center at 203-222-7070 or www.westportartscenter.org. When MoCA Westport opens this Fall at 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport CT, visitors will be welcome Wednesday-Friday from 12-5pm and Saturday-Sunday
from 11am-4pm.