The late Alice and Jack Frost will be forever memorialized at West Virginia University through The Alice & Jack Frost Endowment for Art Museum Exhibitions.
Sue Frost established the endowment to honor her parent’s deep roots at WVU and their love of the arts.
“My parents had many connections to WVU but the museum was always the most special place in their heart,” Sue Frost said. “They were thrilled with what the museum brought to the community and state. They were very excited to see the museum go from a concept to a wonderful reality.”
Alice and Jack Frost moved to Morgantown in 1977 where Jack became deputy chief medical examiner for North Central West Virginia and a faculty member at the WVU School of Medicine. In 1990, Alice received her Master’s Degree in Classics from WVU before spending the next 15 years as a lecturer at the university.
In their retirement, Alice and Jack Frost generously supported the Art Museum of WVU with a $25,000 gift toward the construction costs of the new museum building which opened in 2015. As members of the Friends of the Art Museum they were contributors to the J. Bernard Schultz Fund, which was established in appreciation of former Dean Bernie Schultz’s years of service to the College of Creative Arts. The fund is used to purchase works of art for the Art Museum collection in his name.
Alice Frost served as a docent at the Art Museum, one of the volunteers who lead interactive tours to help groups and individuals learn about the works of art on view.
“I remember back to my childhood that any time we went on trips or family vacations, my parents always enjoyed going to museums and taking in exhibits,” Sue Frost said. “They always had a natural gravitation toward the arts, particularly the visual arts. It was a life-long love.”
Sue Frost, assistant vice president of development at The Ohio State University, met with Development Director Jennifer Jordan and Todd J. Tubutis, director of the Art Museum of WVU, to learn about the museum’s greatest needs before ultimately deciding on an endowment focused on exhibitions.
“I wanted this gift to fill the gaps where the museum could use support without being too restrictive,” Sue Frost said. “The goal is to make a difference and help the museum thrive.”
The Alice & Jack Frost Endowment for Art Museum Exhibitions will provide funds for the myriad of costs of exhibitions at Art Museum of WVU.
“The Alice & Jack Frost Endowment for Art Museum Exhibitions is the first fully endowed fund established specifically to support the significant costs associated with organizing and presenting exhibitions,” Tubutis said. “This legacy gift helps insure we are able to continue bringing the world of art to Morgantown in engaging and meaningful ways for years to come.”