The Maurice Rohrbach Fund (“MRF”) remained faithful to its mission of sponsoring cultural programs and events for the Swiss and American community. The biggest sponsorship of an event by the MRF in this period was the Swiss Roots Day and Bundesbrief exhibit at the National Constitution Center on June 10, 2006 in Philadelphia. At the New Helvetic Society annual meeting in April of 2009, the assembly embraced the historic step to initiate the process of converting the MRF into an independent charitable organization. The rationale for this decision was to expand its support for the arts and culture in the Swiss-American community by enabling the solicitation of tax-deductible donations.
1997
Sponsored the first two prizes awarded to visual artists Marcus Gossolt and Urs Gerber, who were among 18 Swiss artists living in Switzerland and the USA featured in “Old World, New World,” an exhibition at Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia.
Sponsored the Chamber Arts Guild Choir’s concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Doylestown, PA, directed by Lee F. Milhouse.
1998
Sponsored the Chamber Arts Guild Choir’s concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Doylestown, PA.
1999
Sponsored lectures presented by Viennese curator Felicitas Thun and Jan Voss of Amsterdam at the Moore College of Art and Design’s Goldie Paley Gallery, in conjunction with the Dieter Roth installation, “Printed, Pressed, Bound,” which featured three decades of his work.
Sponsored a concert at the Church of the Savior, Wayne, PA, given by the renowned Swiss concert pianist, Brigitte Farner, who enlightened the audience with works of Franz Schubert and W.A. Mozart.
Sponsored a concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Doylestown, PA, directed by Lee F. Milhouse. The Choir sang excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah” and Swiss Christmas Music. Swiss Music for Alphorn and Organ was performed by Antoin Wicki and Robert Kernli, with Edmond Doudin & Theodore Schlosberg from New Jersey Workshop for the Arts on Alphorn. This event was organized by the Chamber Arts Guild Choir.
2000
Sponsored a lecture by Douglas Fogle, Assistant Curator of Visual Arts at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, on Thomas Hirschhorn’s installation, “Altar to Raymond Carve,r” at the Moore College of Art’s Goldie Paley Gallery.
Sponsored a concert by the Chamber Arts Guild Choir at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Doylestown, PA, directed by Lee F. Milhouse, featuring Sacred, Secular and Swiss Christmas Music, as well as excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah.”
2001
Sponsored the Chamber Arts Guild Choir, who performed Handel’s “Messiah” at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Doylestown, PA, directed by Lee F. Milhouse.
Sponsored Jeannine Maddox’s World Premiere of “Umi no Naka” [In the Sea] for Marimba and Orchestra with the Delaware County Symphony (Roman Pawloski, Music Director) at Neumann College’s Meagher Theater, Life Center, Aston, PA.
2002
Co-Sponsored the Corund Ensemble (Stephen Smith, Director) at the Church of St. Martin-In-The-Field, Philadelphia, PA.
Sponsored a concert by Avery Gosfield (Co-Director, Ensemble Lucidarium of Basel) and Edwin George and Karen Meyers (“Pan’s Fancy Duet” of Philadelphia). The trio performed Renaissance and Swiss Medieval Music at the Pirate’s Inn, Mt. Laurel, NJ.
Sponsored the reception and Gallery Talk by Margaret Mathews-Berenson, curator of an exhibition of Swiss artist H.A. Sigg’s recent paintings, sculptures and collages at Rosemont College’s Lawrence Gallery.
2003
Co-sponsored with C. Jacquin Inc. of Trenton, NJ, an African Wine Tasting reception at an exhibition entitled “Solothurn-Biel Super Highway Contravention” by Franco Mueller, Swiss artist of Solothurn, at Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia.
2004
No sponsorship.
2005
Co-sponsored a reception at Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia, where works of Swiss artists Maria Eitle-Vozar, Susanne Keller, Vera Rothamel, Judith Trepp and Karina Wisniewska were exhibited as part of “Criss-Cross,” an exchange between Zurich-based gallery “Art Forum Ute Bath” and Pentimenti Gallery.
2006
Major sponsorship of the “SWISS ROOTS” exhibition at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, featuring the original “Schweizer Bundesbrief,” the founding document of the Swiss Federation. The opening was a very successful all-day event. From June 10 through June 30, about 30,000 people visited the exhibit to see this ancient document of the oldest Democracy in the world.
2007
No sponsorship.
2008
Sponsored a lecture by Mrs. Sachiko Levinson at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Perelman Building,“Art Deco and Modernism in Japan,” as seen in Kimonos from 1912 to 1950, the Taiso and early-to-mid Showa era, the most dynamic period in history. Kimonos owned by internationally renowned private collection of Montgomery, Lugano, Switzerland.
2009
At the annual general assembly, the New Helvetic Society’s (“NHS”) membership approved a resolution to begin the process of separating The Maurice Rohrbach Fund from the NHS and converting it into a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Mr. Donald Spark of the law firm Richards Layton & Finger, Inc. agreed to assist the NHS, pro bono, in crafting the By-Laws for the MRF.
2010
Made a donation in support of a performance by the legendary Swiss mask theater troupe, Mummenschanz, at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia.
2011
No sponsorship.
2012
Sponsored a bus trip to New York City to view the Neue Galerie’s “Ferdinand Hodler: View to Infinity,” the largest American exhibition ever devoted to this major Swiss artist. The exhibition included 65 paintings and 20 drawings from both public and private collections worldwide, as well as furniture designed by Josef Hoffmann for the Hodler apartment. Drawings of Hodler’s girlfriend, Valentine Gode-Darel, were also on display. The visit to the Neue Galerie was followed by a reception at the Swiss Center and viewing of the exhibit, “Selected Furniture Sculptures,” featuring works of Swiss artist John Armleder.