Bok Tower Gardens: Campaign Recognition
Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens is a historic landmark. The singing carillon tower and surrounding gardens were a gift from founder and philanthropist Edward W. Bok. Designed by architect Milton B. Medary, the tower features the finest design and craftsmanship of the period, including stonework by Lee Lawrie, tiles by J.H. Dulles Allen and metalwork by Samuel Yellin. The 60-bell carillon is one of the finest in the world. The gardens were designed by the renowned landscape architect Frank Law Olmstead, Jr.
Campaign for Bok Tower Gardens
The Campaign for Bok Tower Gardens, completed in 2016, focused on the need for broad-based philanthropic support to secure these treasures and prepare new generations of visitors. Projects included preservation of the carillon archives, accessibility and relevancy to a broader visitor base. Even as new buildings and gardens became part of the visitor experience, there was a strong desire to maintain the original sensibilities of the tower and gardens. As explained by executive director, David Price, there is a specific character to the beauty of Bok Tower Gardens. Maintaining that aesthetic was a fundamental aspect of Heurista’s assignment.
“Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.”
In that spirit, every component we added in recognition of donors to the campaign had to reflect the character of the original design work. The primary display component was a feature wall that presents the visitor with a Bok quote about giving and a reinterpretation of key imagery from the door of the tower: the tree of life, a bird with a branch in its beak representing major giving, a lotus flower representing annual giving, an owl representing planned giving and acorns representing membership.
In other locations, cast bronze plaques present the list of campaign donors and recognize areas named in honor of individual donors. All of the recognition is modest in size and materials and finely crafted–in keeping with the ethos of fine craftsmanship for which Bok Tower Gardens is known.