Venice Museum & Archives Honors Gulf Coast Donor Julia Laning

The Venice Museum & Archives has recognized ardent history lover, longtime volunteer, and generous Gulf Coast donor Julia Cousins Laning in a fitting way.

Ms. Laning, whose philanthropy is helping to preserve many of Venice’s oldest structures and stories, was recently presented with an appreciation plaque telling a bit of her own story. The plaque was unveiled last week and is now on display in the historic Triangle Inn, the City’s museum—which also happened to be Julia’s home for a time after her family first came to Venice in 1927. In fact, it will hang right outside her childhood bedroom!

Thanks a million, Julia!

After years of serving as a dedicated volunteer for the Venice Museum & Archives, Julia surprised the city she loves in 2013 with a stunning gift: She created a $1-million fund at Gulf Coast to support historical preservation and interpretation in Venice. Gifts from her fund so far have enabled the City to purchase and begin renovating a former photo studio that will serve as a state-of-the-art archives and research facility, make critical repairs to the Triangle Inn, and much more.

Julia and her late husband, Dale Laning, will be recognized in the name of the new Archives & Research Center when it complete. And now the Triangle Inn, a building that is integral to Julia’s personal history as well as the history of Venice, has a permanent commemoration that tells visitors about this dynamic woman who has made so much historic preservation possible.

At a small ceremony to unveil the plaque, Julia was all smiles. The Museum & Archives served a cake decorated with the message “Thanks a million, Julia!” The cake cutely referenced her transformational $1-million gift that continues to give new opportunities to the Museum & Archives, and much joy to Julia.

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