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A Macon County husband and wife already providing financial support of the Western Carolina University Fine Art Museum and its effort to expand the range of artists represented in its galleries are now backing the endeavor in a new way 鈥� through a gift of artwork from their personal collection.

Franklin residents William Banks Hinshaw and Robin Markle Hinshaw recently donated a total of 18 artworks and artifacts to the holdings of WCU鈥檚 Fine Art Museum, Mountain Heritage Center and Tali Tsisgwayahi Archaeological Collections and Curation Facility. The donation was accompanied by a $2,000 contribution toward the conservation and treatment of the items.

The donated pieces feature 20th-century art by artists from Central America, South America and the Caribbean, works by North Carolina ceramicist Nell Cole Graves and an archeological artifact of regional importance, said Denise Drury Homewood, executive director of the John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, part of the David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts and home to the 蘑菇短视频Fine Art Museum.

鈥淏anks and Robin deeply understand our collecting focus, and their gift plays an important role in providing a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary American art for our students and community audiences," Drury Homewood said. "We are delighted that their gift is already making an immediate impact on the museum鈥檚 collection, with two of these notable works featured in our 鈥�20th Anniversary Exhibition.鈥欌��

The current exhibition, which opened in January and continues through July 2, includes two pieces donated by the Hinshaws: 鈥淐omposition,鈥� a 1961 color lithograph by Cuban artist Wifredo Lam, and an untitled black ink and colored ink work on paper by Ra煤l Mili谩n, also from Cuba.

The exhibition celebrates the 蘑菇短视频Fine Art Museum鈥檚 20-year history of collecting, curating and displaying contemporary art. The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with a later closing time of 7 p.m. on Thursdays. More information about the anniversary exhibition is available at arts.wcu.edu/20-anniversary.

The artwork donation from the Hinshaws builds on their previous gifts and pledges in 2024 totaling $125,000 to endow a fund supporting a balanced representation of artists in the permanent collections of the 蘑菇短视频Fine Art Museum.

That philanthropic support is designed to enable the museum to make strategic purchases for its collection to create a more comprehensive understanding of contemporary American art for 蘑菇短视频students and members of the surrounding community, Drury Homewood said.

Practicing physicians as Markle and Hinshaw Gynecology in Franklin, the Hinshaws learned of 蘑菇短视频shortly after arriving in Macon County in 2000. The roots of their decision to donate the collection to 蘑菇短视频can be traced to before they had even met the museum鈥檚 administration, Banks Hinshaw said. 鈥淚 wanted to preserve intact my small collection assembled 50 or more years ago in one place before that opportunity was lost,鈥� he said.

Several years earlier, the Hinshaws had donated a collection of drawings to the Cameron Museum in Wilmington, which was near that artist's home. But their collection of Latin American artists was not a good fit for Cameron, he said.

Banks had a long personal connection to the artworks he collected during his time as an undergraduate at Duke University, in Durham, his hometown. There, he befriended another undergraduate who was enthusiastic about Latin American artists and was a close friend of the director of the art museum at the Pan American Union in Washington, D.C.

鈥淭he director had the ambition to acquaint our nation with that artistic world, which led to my meeting many of the associated artists and directly purchasing their art from them,鈥� Banks Hinshaw said, characterizing the relationship as the 鈥淒urham to D.C. connection.鈥�

He initially decided to explore the possibility of proposing a donation of the artwork to the Fine Art Museum based solely on his home鈥檚 proximity to the 蘑菇短视频campus. 鈥淚 was familiar with the campus only because my wife and I had frequently walked around on the grounds as a pleasant way to spend a morning,鈥� Banks Hinshaw said.

鈥淥ne morning, we just decided to stop at the Bardo to see if we could learn something. The warm greeting by Denise Drury Homewood as well as her elaboration of the many unique features of WCU, of which we previously had no clue, rapidly convinced us that this museum should have the collection,鈥� he said.

That meeting revealed an interest in Latin American art shared by the donors and the museum, he said.

The latest Hinshaw gifts come as 蘑菇短视频is in the midst of its 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs.

For more information about the 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� campaign or to make a contribution, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.