MCASD mourns the loss of devoted patron of the Arts, Pauline Foster

She and her late husband, Stan, were founding members of the Museum's collectors group, Contemporary Collectors. Pauline joined the Board of Trustees in 1987 and served as Board President from 2001 to 2004. She continued to serve as a Trustee until her recent death.

"Pauline was a remarkable lady and a dear friend to all of us at the Museum," said Hugh Davies, The David C.Copley Director & CEO. "As a Trustee, she was visionary, understanding the true needs of the institution and investing in the solutions often without public recognition. Pauline's quiet strength and caring support touched the hearts and changed the lives of people throughout our community. She left a lasting legacy at MCASD and will be greatly missed by all of us." 

Pauline was a dedicated yet quiet supporter of MCASD who collected art by both established and emerging artists. In January of this year she contributed generous lead underwriting support for the exhibition Ed Ruscha Then & Now: Paintings from the 1960s and 2000s. 

Both MCASD locations benefited from her and her late husband Stan's incredible generosity. Major gifts include two galleries established during the Robert Venturi expansion of the La Jolla campus in 1996 and the downtown Richard Gluckman expansion of 2007. Pauline also generously agreed to participate in the planned expansion of the La Jolla galleries to provide beautiful new gallery spaces for the display of the Museum's permanent collection. Pauline's most transformative gift and largest legacy is the donation of a 25,000 square-foot off-site storage facility that houses MCASD's growing collection. Quite characteristic of this modest woman, she recognized the critical need for a secure space and created the solution without expectation of public recognition.

Pauline Foster will be greatly missed by everyone in the MCASD family.