Chuck Williams gifts $1M to museum

Sonoma Valley Museum draws massive donation from the late Chuck Williams|

“It’s very exciting, and to be honest, a bit out-of-the-blue,” says Linda Cano, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, describing her staff’s reaction to news that Chuck Williams, the late founder of Williams-Sonoma, has left the museum a hefty bequest described only as being in excess of $1 million.

According to Cano, the museum does not intend to disclose the exact amount of what she’s calling Williams’ “legacy gift,” but does confirm that the bequest is the largest of its kind in the museum’s 18-year history.

That’s saying something.

“We had another large gift earlier this year, of course,” she points out, referring to the $1 million gifted by the estate of the late Calvin Vander Woude, a longtime SVMA board member and lifelong art collector. Vander Woude’s donation, announced in March of 2016, was at the time also described as the museum’s all-time record breaker, a record that has now been surpassed.

“That money has allowed us to do many things we’d wanted to but couldn’t, including being able to build up our staff,” Cano says. “We’ve added three staff positions, and are about to add a fourth, allowing us to begin doing things we haven’t been able to do in the past.”

According to Cano, the new Williams bequest will help provide the museum dependable regular income – about equal to 10 percent of SVMA’s annual operating budget, according to museum officials. That, she says, marks a significant sea-change for SVMA. The nonprofit museum – which features a 3,000-square-foot main gallery area and a smaller adjoining gallery space, plus a 2,500-volume art library – operates on an annual budget of about $900,000.

“This is truly transformational for us,” says Cano. “This money will provide for long-term financial support for the museum, and provide a reserve for future expansion of what SVMA provides the community.”

Asked how the museum plans to use the sizable sum of money, and whether some sort of endowment will be set up in a similar fashion as the Vander Woude bequest, Cano says no decision has been made at this point.

“We really don’t know,” she says. “We are forming an investment committee, and we will look at all of our options. We will be calling on big-idea people from the community, and considering what the best ways to proceed are.”

Founded in 1998, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art is largely supported through memberships and donations, and offers various public exhibitions, representing a wide range of artistic expressions, throughout the year. Its current exhibit – titled “XXc Icons of Photography” – was preceded earlier this summer by a show featuring handcrafted surfboards. Previous to that were exhibitions of Japanese bamboo art and contemporary calligraphy. In addition, SVMA has an active calendar of classes, workshops, lectures and other education offerings.

“There could be no stronger or more heart-felt an endorsement of everything SVMA does and is striving to do than Mr. Williams’ wonderful gift,” said SVMA board president Douglas Fenn Wilson, in a statement.

“Our small gem of a museum will be greatly strengthened by the fact that nurturing creativity, in all its forms, was what Chuck Williams did in life, and what he chose to further through his legacy.”

Email David at david.templeton@sonomanews.com

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