Pomona College has received a $15 million gift from an alumna and New York philanthropist for naming rights and continued construction of an art museum, the college announced. The gift is from Janet Inskeep Benton, a 1979 Pomona College graduate who went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School. She served as an executive at General Foods Corp. before launching a career as a volunteer and philanthropist, with a focus on arts and cultural institutions. With the gift, the $44 million museum is set to open late next year as the Benton Museum of Art. The 33,000-square-foot museum is designed by Boston-based architects Machado & Silvetti Associates Inc. and San Francisco design firm Gensler.
– Howard Fine
