After discovering the work of art education professor Sara Wilson McKay, Leonard Hunter approached VCUarts to learn more about the school, the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, and Wilson McKay’s cross-disciplinary research and teaching. A visit to campus further impressed Hunter and, in August 2024, he made a $225,000 gift in honor of his late wife, Julia Marshall, a renowned art educator at San Francisco State University.
Hunter’s gift will be distributed over the course of five years. Last year, the Marshall-Hunter Integrated Arts Fund supported the development of cross-disciplinary courses that blend healthcare with arts and the humanities, as well as a novel community-based graduate course with off-campus immersive curricular experiences. Wilson McKay, along with colleagues and graduate students in both the arts and healthcare, presented at conferences in the U.S. and abroad. The Art Education Department also hosted several visiting artists, some in partnership with local schoolteachers.
In addition to faculty support, the Marshall-Hunter Fund also enhances art education experiences for students. In April, 30 VCUarts students traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit exhibitions at the National Gallery, the Hirshhorn, and the American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. This year, Wilson McKay created a new position for a doctoral student to work on grant-funded projects, including supporting the community-based Curriculum Labs and developing contemporary art resources for K-12 teachers.
Wilson McKay is now partnering with Hunter to further refine the long-term purpose and vision of the fund. Potential future projects involve hosting workshops and online symposia, establishing VCU as a nexus of art education outreach.