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Pepperdine University Receives Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Grant to Advance Sustainable Museum Lighting

 


 

Frederick R. Weisman Museum of ArtMALIBU, Calif. – July 7, 2025 – Pepperdine University has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative to support a major sustainability-focused planning project at the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art. The project will lay the groundwork for overhauling the museum’s incandescent lighting system with a new, energy-efficient LED infrastructure designed specifically for the needs of a contemporary art institution.

The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is a national program of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation that supports visual arts institutions as they pursue projects that address climate change through mitigation, adaptation, and education. With this funding, the Weisman will develop a comprehensive technical and strategic plan for implementing a museum-quality LED system, significantly reducing energy use, improving exhibition conditions, and advancing Pepperdine’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

“Support from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative will allow the Weisman Museum of Art to plan a major transition to energy-efficient LED lighting—an essential step toward both climate responsibility and curatorial excellence,” said museum director Andrea Gyorody. “As a university museum dedicated to contemporary art, we know that light is not just infrastructure—it’s integral to how viewers experience and interpret the work on view. This project will dramatically improve our ability to present exhibitions at the highest standard, while also advancing our commitment to sustainability.”

The project addresses a critical opportunity to modernize lighting infrastructure and align with evolving conservation and sustainability standards. Through this grant, the museum will partner with lighting designers, engineers, and consultants to evaluate the current system and develop a fully implementable design aligned with curatorial and technical needs.

While largely invisible to visitors, lighting is foundational to the presentation and preservation of works of art. A new LED system will not only enhance the visual quality of exhibitions but also significantly reduce heat output and long-term energy costs. The project also aligns with the museum’s planned shift to longer exhibition durations, a move that reduces installation waste and carbon emissions from shipping.

This planning effort marks the first major step toward a full lighting retrofit, strengthening the museum’s ability to secure future funding and serve as a model of sustainable practice for other small institutions in higher education and the arts.

This award supports Pepperdine University’s broader sustainability goals while ensuring the Weisman Museum remains a vibrant, forward-looking resource for students, faculty, and the wider Southern California community.

Pepperdine is one of 74 visual arts organizations nationwide selected in this year’s grant cycle, which awarded $3.4 million to support energy efficiency and clean energy projects. Now in its fifth year, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is the first program of its kind to support climate action in the visual arts. As one of a handful of university museums included in this round of funding, the Weisman joins a growing network of institutions working at the intersection of cultural stewardship and environmental responsibility. The project is slated to begin in July 2025 and continue through July 2026.

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About the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
Dedicated in September 1992, the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art is sited at the heart of Seaver College on Pepperdine University’s oceanside campus. For more than thirty years, the Weisman has showcased modern and contemporary art by internationally recognized artists, with a focus on art made in California. The sole art museum located in Malibu, the Weisman is part of the larger Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts, serving thousands of residents from Los Angeles and Ventura Counties each year, in addition to visitors from around the country and the world. The museum's student-centered program aims to empower every visitor to look, listen, and learn from works of art and from one another.

Notable past exhibitions include The Cultivators: Highlights from the Kinsey African American Art and History Collection; numerous thematic shows drawn from the collection of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation; and solo shows of work by Lita Albuquerque, Larry Bell, Squeak Carnwath, Dale Chihuly, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson, Karl Haendel, Roy Lichtenstein, Mercedes Matter, Gwynn Murrill, Claes Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol.

About Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is a private Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in Malibu, California. Rooted in the Christian tradition, Pepperdine is committed to both the relentless pursuit of truth through academic and scholarly excellence and to embodying Christian faith and values. With students at the heart of the educational enterprise, the University prepares approximately 9,000 scholars for lives of purpose, service, and leadership across its agship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the College of Health Science; and four graduate schools—the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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