Spreading Art Appreciation
Lisa Green (CAS’03), with her husband, Mitchell, says it’s important to educate people about art, so they feel knowledgeable and informed. Photo by Rebecca Farmer
Spreading Art Appreciation
With a $1 million gift to the humanities faculty, Lisa and Mitchell Green are increasing access to the study of art
Lisa Green is passionate about art. But she isn’t painting landscapes or sculpting figures.
“While I’m not an artist and don’t consider myself particularly creative in the traditional sense of the word, I’ve always loved art and always had an appreciation for it,” says Green (CAS’03), chief of staff for a private equity firm in Santa Barbara, Calif.
One of her fundamental beliefs is that “art is for everyone,” Green says. “And I think it’s really important to educate people about art, so they feel knowledgeable, informed, and opinionated about it.”
Those values are the impetus behind a generous gift from Green and her husband, Mitchell, to the College of Arts & Sciences. The couple recently pledged $1 million to create the Lisa and Mitchell Green Endowment for Humanities Faculty, which benefits humanities faculty, especially those teaching in the Department of History of Art & Architecture. With this gift, the Greens hope to increase access to the study of art at BU.
Lisa Green began her career in the art world—working for Sotheby’s after graduating from BU—but later pivoted to entrepreneurship and then to private equity. She and her husband work for Lead Edge Capital, the firm Mitchell founded in 2009.
The couple has been building an art collection in their home for years, and Green makes it a priority to talk to their four daughters about the pieces.
She learned how much art can enrich a person’s life while she was a BU student. “My professors have been influential in everything I’ve done,” Green says. “To get to this point—from appreciating art to being able to own art—has been amazing.”
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