WORCESTER – You don’t hear of an institution receiving a hefty sum in this amount every day. But the art community, civic leaders and certainly those at the Art Museum are bursting with appreciation over getting a $10 million gift this week.
The hefty contribution comes from the C. Jean & Myles McDonough Charitable Foundation and it’s the single largest donation in WAM’s history. This contribution follows the Foundation’s $4 million endowment gift and naming of WAM’s directorship in 2015, and continues Jean McDonough’s lifelong support of the museum with a gift targeted at supporting both the museum’s near-term needs and its long-term financial health.
“The Worcester Art Museum is a tremendous resource for culture and education for people throughout New England, and an institution greatly deserving all of our support,” said Neil McDonough in a statement. “With my mother’s gift, we see an opportunity to strengthen the Museum’s current operations, encourage growth of the endowment, and support its ambitious plans for the future.”
Lisa McDonough, a WAM Trustee and Jean McDonough’s daughter-in-law, added: “We hope that by making this commitment, other members of our community will also step forward to ensure that WAM continues to thrive.”
“On behalf of the Worcester Art Museum, I would like to thank the McDonough family—and Jean in particular—for this exceptional gift, which benefits both the Museum, and the community we serve. It reflects Jean’s lifelong devotion to the Museum, which she describes as her second home. For years, she served as a forward-thinking trustee and as a docent extraordinaire, who introduced thousands of school children to the Museum collection, and we are tremendously grateful for her past engagement. Now she has demonstrated ongoing leadership by providing a gift that will create new opportunities for the Museum,” said Matthias Waschek, the museum’s C. Jean and Myles McDonough director.
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