A Transformative Gift

A Transformative Gift

When Santa Fe couple Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn began thinking about their legacy more than a decade ago, they knew they wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. What they didn't expect was how profoundly a single museum visit would shape their giving.

On one of their many trips to the Museum of International Folk Art, they walked into The Gallery of Conscience-a space dedicated to socially engaged folk art and found themselves deeply inspired. "The exhibition we saw resonated with us in ways that were unexpected," Dale recalls. "It wasn't just about the objects. It was about the people, their stories, and the urgent issues those stories revealed."

That visit sparked conversations with museum leadership and the Foundation's Planned Giving team. At a meeting, a bold idea took shape-support the Gallery of Conscience now, during their lifetimes, and see the impact firsthand. Their generosity led to the creation of what is now the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience , a proud member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience , a global network of museums and memory sites working to connect past human rights struggles with present-day movements for justice.

A Commitment to the Future

But Mark and Dale's commitment doesn't end there. Through a planned bequest, they are ensuring the Gallery's future by establishing an endowment in their estate plan to sustain exhibitions that not only honor traditional arts but confront the modern threats these traditions face-war, displacement, climate change, and more.

For Mark, the connection to MOIFA runs even deeper. He first visited the museum on its opening day over 70 years ago with his grandfather. "That day left an imprint," he reflects. "It's part of why this museum-and what it stands for-means so much to me."

Interested in creating your own cultural legacy?
To learn more about planned giving options and how you can make an impact like Mark and Dale, contact Laura Sullivan at [email protected] or 505.216.0829.