PATRON
Leonore Annenberg
Museum groundbreaking – Leonore Annenberg with shovel, 1973, reproduction, 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm), Palm Springs Art Museum, Institutional Archives.
Opening Day Ribbon Cutting Event – Evelle Younger, Leonore Annenberg, Bill Foster, 1976, reproduction, 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm), Palm Springs Art Museum, Institutional Archives.
Paul Pospesil (American), Fred Sleight and Leonore Annenberg, 1975, reproduction, 8 × 10 in. (20.3 × 25.4 cm), Palm Springs Art Museum, Institutional Archives.
Leonore Annenberg’s contributions to the construction of the family residence at Sunnylands, and to the programming and execution of the Annenberg Theater at Palm Springs Art Museum, are testaments to her enduring legacy of patronage.
According to museum archives, her role extended beyond gathering funds—although fundraising required persuasion and flair—to influencing the theater’s architecture, aesthetic, equipment, and even the cast of performers who first performed in the space.
Annenberg graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, served as President of the Palm Springs Desert Museum (Palm Springs Art Museum) board from 1972 to 1976, and later became Chief of Protocol for the United States in the 1980s. She presided over the Annenberg Foundation from 2002 to 2009.
