A $2 million gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, co-owners of The Wonderful Company, will establish the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Endowed Chair in Art at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture. The endowed chair will strengthen the school’s ability to recruit, retain and support the work of renowned faculty.
The donation extends the Resnicks’ long history of generous support for the work and education of young artists, both at UCLA and across Los Angeles. In 2010, they established the Resnick Scholars Program in the UCLA Department of Art with a gift of $1 million that supported nearly 150 graduate and undergraduate students over the course of five academic years. In 2018, they contributed $30 million as the lead gift to help launch the Hammer Museum at UCLA’s capital campaign.
“Art expands the mind, unites communities, pushes people to challenge their assumptions, and makes the world a better place,” said Lynda Resnick, vice chair and co-owner of The Wonderful Company. “Stewart and I are delighted to offer this gift which will help educate and train future generations of artists, so that we may all enjoy their work for many years to come.”
The new endowed chair will be held by a distinguished faculty member in the department of art who is also a respected practitioner in their field.
“Since its founding, UCLA has attracted artists operating at the top of their fields, providing students with access to extraordinary mentors who help guide their creative and intellectual development,” said Brett Steele, dean of the School of the Arts and Architecture. “The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Endowed Chair in Art will ensure that this legacy continues well into the future. We are grateful to the Resnicks for their generosity to UCLA and to the arts.”
Andrea Fraser, chair of the department of art, said, “The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Endowed Chair will further secure the status of the UCLA Department of Art as the top U.S. art program in a public university. We are deeply grateful for their support of public higher education in the arts.”
The Resnicks’ gift is part of the Centennial Campaign for UCLA, which is scheduled to conclude in December 2019 during UCLA’s 100th anniversary year.