A nonprofit group that supports preservation of the Queen Mary ocean liner has reached an agreement with the city that lets it fundraise and pursue restoration projects aboard the vessel without needing individual approvals from the City Council.
With this step, approved by council members last Tuesday, the Queen Mary Heritage Foundation will start accepting donations as it works with the city over the next 60 days to prepare a list of potential projects.
John Thomas, secretary and treasurer with the Foundation, said Wednesday these projects are for restoring existing art pieces on the ship and are not to be confused with structural repairs covered by the city or the ship’s revenue, which reached $40.1 million in FY 2024.
A spokesperson with the city’s economic development department said Thursday the ship finished FY 24 with a net income of $1.99 million and is expected to finish this current fiscal year in the positive as well.
Instead, Thomas said, his organization will focus on small-scale projects, such as refurbishment of paintings, murals or other memorabilia with the funding of local philanthropy, corporate contributions and “international support” of those with ties to the ship’s days as an English Cunard liner.
“They may like one of the paintings that we choose. They may like one of the art fixtures we restore that may be something close to them,” Thomas said. “Many families still exist of the original artists in Europe, and they may have some interest in seeing their families’ artwork continue to shine here on the ship.”
Thomas said projects will likely range between $5,000 and $50,000.
The foundation hopes to have three restoration projects done within the next year. Once the list of projects is released, donors will be able to either choose where the money goes or leave it up to the foundation. Updates on projects’ fundraising targets will be posted online to track their progress.
Projects will be agreed upon between the city and foundation, and scheduled in coordination with Evolution Hospitality, which manages the ship’s day-to-day functions. The city will continue to have the discretion in prioritizing which projects to fund and its economic development department will oversee the work.
As resources may permit, Thomas hopes to have restoration performed behind plexiglass during the day for public viewing.
“Workers sanding and refinishing, sewing textiles back onto a sofa, and you get a sense of the work and the training and the techniques that are necessary to maintain these great pieces of art,” he said.