New London ― The Lyman Allyn Art Museum announced Tuesday it will receive $500,000 donation to initiate the reshaping of its campus.

The donation comes from Eliza and Matthew Sharp and the LaBoiteaux-Sharp Family Foundation, and it is the largest single commitment to the museum since 1939, according to a museum news release.

Eliza Sharp serves as a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees.

The museum, opened in 1932 with 12 acres of green space, is transforming its entire campus into an inclusive urban art park to be known as the Lyman Allyn Park. The park “will celebrate art in nature, amplify its social justice and environmental advocacy, and extend its 90-year history of serving the diverse community into the future,” said the release.

The master plan for the park has been completed. The $500,000 donation by the Sharps will go towards the redesign and construction of “an elegant and accessible” museum entryway, and it will be named for the Sharp family in recognition of its philanthropy for the Lyman Allyn.

According to the release, the gift donation “is a true catalyst, inspiring ideas, igniting the revitalization laid out in the Master Plan for the Park and setting the stage for leadership giving that will transform the landscape of the Lyman Allyn Park.”

Located at 625 Williams St., the museum is hosting an open house Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. in which members of the public can learn about the master plan for the park. The event is free.

Anyone with questions or interest in the project can contact Ellen Anderson, director of development at 860-373-3238.