$25 million gift for the conservation and preservation of extraordinary and rare art and collectibles from C.K. and Whitney McWhorter
C.K. and Whitney McWhorter’s McWhorter Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting the arts and cultural heritage, is proud to announce a groundbreaking commitment of $25 million to the conservation and preservation of extraordinary and rare art and collectibles.
This substantial contribution underscores the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding our world’s artistic treasures for generations to come.
The McWhorter Foundation’s generous donation will be directed towards a range of initiatives to preserve and protect exceptional artworks, historical artifacts, and priceless collectibles. These efforts will extend to museums, galleries, institutions, and private collectors who share the Foundation’s passion for cultural heritage.
“We believe that art and culture are the cornerstones of our shared human experience,” said C.K. McWhorter Chairman of McWhorter Foundation.
“Through this transformative $25 million commitment, we aim to support organizations and individuals who are dedicated to conserving the world’s most remarkable artistic treasures. It is our duty to ensure that these extraordinary works continue to inspire, educate, and delight generations to come.”
C.K. McWhorter is the Chairman & CEO of CTRL USA ™, an American-based private investment company operating within a variety of sectors: media, private equity, real estate, and acquisitions.
C.K. McWhorter is an American businessman, investor & philanthropist. Mr. McWhorter partners with world-renowned entertainment &business leaders in employing strategic capital & influence within a variety of spectrums.
Mr. McWhorter is critically acclaimed for his ability to recognize high-quality ROI ventures while maximizing profits/growth through the implementation of strategic business practices & policies.
More Specialties: Brand Partnerships and Promotions, Entertainment and brand industry relations, strategic partnerships, budgetary management.
The Foundation’s funding supports the following key initiatives:
Conservation and Restoration: Substantial resources will be allocated to the meticulous conservation and restoration of exceptional artworks, sculptures, manuscripts, and rare collectibles. Expert conservators will work tirelessly to return these treasures to their original glory.
Preservation Grants: The McWhorter Foundation will establish a competitive grant program to provide financial support to museums, galleries, and private collectors who wish to undertake significant preservation and restoration projects.
Educational Programs: A portion of the donation will be dedicated to educational programs that promote awareness and appreciation of art preservation techniques and the importance of cultural heritage conservation.
Research and Development: The Foundation will fund research projects aimed at advancing innovative preservation techniques and technologies, ensuring the continued protection of art and collectibles.
Longtime University of Alabama at Birmingham supporter Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., committed an additional $5 million to his transformational $95 million gift that named the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine earlier, bringing the total naming gift to $100 million.
The gift, which also named the Marnix E. Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation and the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health, is the single largest philanthropic commitment in university history.
“The initial Heersink gift has been transformational in expanding our ability to improve and save lives at home and around the world, and this generous additional investment will build on our unprecedented momentum in profound ways,” said UAB President Ray L. Watts.
“The new gift will target a variety of programs for immediate investment, including strategic recruitment efforts, and it will bolster our Research Strategic Initiative – Growth With Purpose, which is establishing a road map to multiply the positive impact our research enterprise has on people and help us reach $1 billion in research expenditures.”
The Heersink naming gift will ultimately support the creation of as many as 20 new endowed positions to enhance the recruitment of elite faculty. In the first year of the gift alone, the Heersink School of Medicine established and awarded five Heersink Endowed Chairs and one Heersink Endowed Professorship.
“We are deeply grateful for Dr. Heersink’s continued support of our school,” said Anupam Agarwal, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the Heersink School of Medicine. “His initial naming gift has already opened many new avenues of growth for us.
With this new gift commitment, we will be able to pursue excellence across our mission areas of medical education, clinical care, and biomedical research, with the ultimate goal of improving the health and well-being of all those who come to us for care.”
Heersink is a Dothan, Alabama, eye surgeon, innovator and entrepreneur, and he has served on the executive boards of the Alabama/Florida Council of Boy Scouts and the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, among many other philanthropic activities.
His wife, Mary Heersink, is a longtime member of the Heersink School of Medicine’s Board of Visitors, as well as the Advisory Board of the Master of Science in Global Health Program, a joint initiative among McMaster University in Canada, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Manipal University in India and Thomassat University in Thailand.