Reginald F. Lewis Museum seeks steadier contributed revenue and plans federal-funded lynching-history installation

Terry Freeman, president of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, briefed the Education, Business and Administration Subcommittee on the museum’s FY23 performance and FY25 request.

DLS reported the museum’s FY25 allowance at $6.0 million (a $375,000, or 6.7% increase). The museum expects private revenue to total about $3.3 million while state general funds account for roughly $2.7 million of that allowance. DLS noted the museum ran a $170,000 deficit in FY23 and asked the museum to explain the shortfall.

Freeman told senators the FY23 gap reflected overambitious contributed-revenue projections and staffing constraints; he said the museum has since “right-sized” projections and is pursuing new partnerships and outreach. The museum reported programmatic gains: school group visits increased by 36.5% and it launched teacher-training materials and statewide outreach to expand its reach beyond Baltimore.

Freeman said the museum has secured federal funding to develop a permanent—but transportable—gallery installation on the state’s lynching history, and is pursuing private and city funding to create a dedicated children's space and a three-day teacher training institute. The museum also highlighted its role hosting national museum conferences in Baltimore in 2025.

Freeman thanked the committee and affirmed concurrence with the DLS analysis and the need to close the FY23 fundraising gap while expanding statewide programs.