Hammer Museum gets $2-million gift from Anthony Pritzker

The Hammer Museum is receiving a $2-million gift from Los Angeles billionaire Anthony Pritzker that will benefit the organization’s education programs for young children.

Pritzker, who is a museum board member, said he is making the cash donation over a period of time.

“I’ve given money to the Hammer Museum before but not of this size and not centered around children,” Pritzker said in a recent phone interview. Pritzker and his wife, Jeanne, are making the donation through their family foundation.

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The $2 million will help fund the Hammer’s education initiatives for young children who attend public schools in the area, said Ann Philbin, the museum’s director. In the past, the Hammer traditionally focused on university-level education programs because of its affiliation with UCLA, she said.

But Philbin said the museum is putting more effort into initiatives for grade-school students, especially those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. She said the Pritzkers’ gift will go toward programs for young students who come to the Hammer for arts education and other activities.

Pritzker is a scion of the prominent Pritzker family whose interests include the Hyatt Hotels chain and other holdings.

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