Handel’s Ice Cream chief executive donates $100,000 to McDonough Museum of Art
April 22, 2022
Leonard Fisher, president and chairman of the board of Handel’s Ice Cream, will be honored Wednesday, April 27, 2022 at 7:30 PM at the McDonough Museum of Art for his $100,000 gift to the museum.
In recognition of the donation, the museum’s main gallery balcony will be named the Leonard J. Fisher Family Balcony.
“We thank Lenny and Handel’s for their continued support of YSU and the entire Mahoning Valley,” YSU president Jim Tressel said. “We are particularly thankful for the support of the arts in our community and our wonderful McDonough Museum.”
The gift follows a long tradition of Fisher’s philanthropy. He previously donated $1 million to support the expansion of Akron Children’s Hospital’s Mahoning Valley Emergency Department.
“We are so appreciative of this terrific gift to the McDonough Museum, which has become the unofficial hub for the Cliffe College of Creative Arts. The museum collaborates broadly with students and faculty from across campus as well as with numerous community groups, and this generous donation will benefit all of those constituencies,” dean of Cliffe College of Creative Arts Phyllis Paul said.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Fisher moved to Youngstown in 1975 to open the Yellow Submarine Sub Shop. He ventured into a few other businesses until he met the founder of Handel’s Ice Cream, Alice Handel. They became friends, and in 1985 he purchased the business from her. Since then, the Youngstown staple has grown from one location to 80 locations in 11 states, with plans to add another 40 locations in 2022.
The McDonough Museum of Art serves as YSU’s art museum and Mahoning Valley’s premier center for contemporary art. Working in tandem with the faculty and students of the YSU Department of Art, the McDonough Museum assists in developing programs and exhibitions that enhance the department’s contemporary and interdisciplinary teaching mission by aligning curation with curriculum to strengthen and deepen the educational function of the museum. The museum offers a range of dynamic programs that include exhibitions, installations, performances, and lectures that invite campus and community members to discover and explore meaning in contemporary art.
The ceremony for Fisher will begin at 7:30 PM and will include a performance by the Dana School of Music.