The education I received at SMU Meadows is one of the life experiences I cherish most. I’m excited to give back and help the Art Division continue to thrive.
— Claire Morris Spaht ’94
Expressing devotion for the pursuit of the arts
The Spaht Family Foundation has announced a $2 million gift to enhance the SMU Meadows School of the Arts. The gift will endow the Claire Morris Spaht Chair of the Division of Art as well as establish the Spaht Family Student Immersion Fund to finance opportunities for exceptional students to focus on intensive creation and study of their craft.
“With this gift, Claire Spaht will enable the Meadows School to offer the best in artistic education and resources to help our students succeed in their creative endeavors,” said R. Gerald Turner, SMU president. “SMU continues to be a premier artistic and cultural institution, thanks to the generous support of our donors.”
The Claire Morris Spaht Chair of the Division of Art will be responsible for recruiting and retaining talented faculty and staff, attracting students and for the vision of the department. The endowed division chair further raises the Meadows School’s reputation as one of the foremost arts education institutions in the United States.
“Gifts to endow division chairs enhance the ability of SMU Meadows to attract outstanding faculty and students,” said Samuel S. Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts. “We thank the Spaht Family Foundation and Claire for her passionate support of art education and our students.”
Claire Morris Spaht ’94 is a San Francisco-based artist, philanthropist, art collector and Meadows graduate. As a student, Spaht spent immersed time focused on studio art and art history at SMU-in-Taos and studying abroad. She found particular inspiration from faculty highlights Bill Commodore, Jay Sullivan, Steve Wilder, Mary Vernon, Larry Schoulder and Randall Griffin.
“The education I received at SMU Meadows is one of the life experiences I cherish most,” said Spaht. “I’m excited to give back and help the Art Division continue to thrive.”
In addition to the endowed division chair, the gift creates the Spaht Family Student Immersion Fund, which supports students from any area of the Meadows School who pursue unique and exceptional opportunities to travel, study and create.
Expected impact
- Expands the number of endowed faculty positions to help recruit and retain dynamic educators and exceptional students.
- Challenges students at the Meadows School of the Arts to pursue the highest levels of art and craftsmanship.
- Provides funding for immersive experiences that prepare students for future success.
“This gift fundamentally enhances our studios and the support we offer to students to achieve their highest levels of artistic expression,” said Brian Molanphy, who becomes the first person to serve as Claire Morris Spaht Chair of the Division of Art. “The whole Meadows School of the Arts and the Division of Art in particular greatly appreciate this generous gift.”
The gift from the Spaht Family Foundation adds to SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow, the University’s multiyear $1.5 billion campaign for impact. In particular, the gift furthers the campaign’s goals to enrich teaching and research and empower outstanding students to achieve academic, personal and professional success.
Gifts to endow division chairs enhance the ability of SMU Meadows to attract outstanding faculty and students.
— Samuel S. Holland, Algur H. Meadows Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts