MYRTLE BEACH, SC.- The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum announces the establishment of an endowment fund, the first in the Museum’s history. The endowment fund was created from funds given to the Museum earlier this year in the form of a Charitable Remainder Unitrust created by longtime museum supporter Dr. Richard Lee Jackson.

Dr. Jackson practiced medicine in Myrtle Beach for 35 years with his good friend and partner, Dr. Holmes B. Springs. Dr. Jackson and Dr. Springs were the first surgeons in Myrtle Beach and were dearly loved by their friends and patients. Five years before his death in 2006, Dr. Jackson established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust fund to benefit several organizations, among them the Art Museum. The funds donated to the Art Museum were totally unrestricted.

At a recent meeting, the Museum’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted to establish a permanent endowment with part of the funds in honor of Dr. Jackson, and to designate the Waccamaw Community Foundation as trustee. The endowment will provide a permanent source of income for the Museum’s operations.

From the balance of Dr. Jackson’s gift, a portion will be used to pay for capital improvements to the Museum. These will include a major renovation of its prep room, which is used to prepare and store art works. The renovations will include the construction of much-needed shelving and storage facilities for the Museum’s permanent art collection. Also planned is the completion of a state-of-the-art sound system at the facility, with the remainder of the funds held in reserve for other needs as they occur.

“Dr Jackson was a wonderful friend, a leader in our community and a friend to the Art Museum,” said Museum Chairman Jim Watson. “We are most grateful to Dr. Jackson and his family for this important gift, and we are hopeful that others will follow his lead in considering the Art Museum in their estate plans.”

For further information about the Museum and its programs, call 843-238-2510 or visit www.MyrtleBeachArtMuseum.org.

The Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum is a wholly nonprofit institution located across from Springmaid Pier at 3100 South Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. Components of Museum programs are funded in part by support from the City of Myrtle Beach, the Horry County Council and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.