GOLDENDALE, WA.- Maryhill Museum of Art has received a bequest of $2 million from the estate of Mary Hoyt Stevenson, long-time supporter and champion of the museum.

“In life, as in death, Mary’s generosity was exemplary. She loved art, its power to move and change the lives of those who encounter it. This extraordinary bequest reflects Mary’s passion and love of the museum. It will benefit Maryhill for decades to come and all of us at the museum are extremely grateful,” says Colleen Schafroth, Maryhill’s executive director.

Enchanted by Maryhill, Mary Hoyt Stevenson became involved first as a volunteer, and later as a financial supporter of the museum. She served on Maryhill’s Board of Trustees from 1993 through 2002, and most recently served on the museum’s Collections Committee, including time as its chair. Over the years, she supported Maryhill by giving to its exhibits, programs, endowment and Fund for the Future, which she began in 1993 with a gift of $1 million. Other gifts followed, many through the Mary Hoyt Stevenson Foundation.

Stevenson’s love of art extended to service for two terms on the Washington State Arts Commission, and a board role with Portland’s Contemporary Crafts Association.

Mary Hoyt Stevenson was born April 13, 1920, in Spokane. She graduated from the University of Washington, and in 1943, married Bruce Stevenson. She was the mother of three daughters: Laura, Anne and Leslie. The Stevensons settled in the Columbia River Gorge, where the family was involved in forestry, timber production and hospitality. Mary Hoyt Stevenson died in November 2008.