The James A. Michener Art Museum

Uffizi Gallery’s Offering of the Angels Strategic Counsel and Campaign

The James A. Michener Art Museum is an independent, nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to preserving, interpreting and exhibiting the art and cultural heritage of the Bucks County, Pa. region. The museum was selected as the only venue in the Northeastern United States to exhibit Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces from the famed Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The exhibit, Offering of the Angels: Treasures from the Uffizi, featured works from Botticelli, Titian, Tintoretto and other masters, and was the first American tour of an exhibit drawn entirely from the Uffizi collection.

The museum partnered with Furia Rubel to create awareness and generate publicity surrounding Offering of the Angels – specifically with regard to Italian and Italian-American audiences – to provide strategic counsel regarding a press conference announcing the exhibit, and to serve as a liaison between the museum and the Italian and Italian-American communities in the Philadelphia area and beyond.

To aid the museum in achieving its goals, Furia Rubel reached out to the Italian Consul General in Philadelphia, ultimately coordinating a press conference at the Italian Consul General’s office. Furia Rubel also leveraged the museum’s brand recognition to entice media interest, while tailoring event messaging to key target audiences, reaching those interested in international art exhibits in Bucks County. In addition to contacting traditional press outlets, Furia Rubel piqued the interest of numerous key Italian publications, including Italian America, The Italian Tribune, Fra Noi Magazine, Ambassador Magazine and numerous others.

Offering of the Angels: Treasures from the Uffizi ultimately garnered more than 8 million media impressions for coverage valuing nearly $40,000 and a return on investment of nearly 37 percent. A portion of ticket sales and a group tour were also attributed to Furia Rubel’s efforts. Five television and radio outlets along with 54 online sites covered the exhibition, which was also the subject of five feature stories in long-lead publications. Among the media attending the April 12, 2012, press conference were CBS3, NBC10, Fox29, 6abc, WFMZ and The Epoch Times. The exhibition received television and radio coverage on KYW Newsradio 1060, WFMZ, 6abc and WOGL 98.1. Online results included CBSPhilly.com, CentralJersey.com, CiaoAmerica.net, DoylestownAlive.com, FlorenceDailyNews.com, Newsworks.org, SimpleItaly.com and many more. All told, the museum grossed $90,000 to support education, programs and exhibits at the museum.

Furia Rubel was honored to partner with the James A. Michener Art Museum to share Offering of the Angels with the general public.