The High Museum of Art in Atlanta has announced a $2.5 million gift from local patrons Dan Boone and his late wife, Merrie, to expand its folk and self-taught art programs and endow a full-time curatorial position.

The gift will establish the Merrie and Dan Boone Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art and bolster the museum’s exhibition program, conservation efforts, and collection. Featuring works by artists such as Bill Traylor, Thornton Dial, Ulysses Davis, Mattie Lou O'Kelley, and Louis Monza, the museum's collection is recognized as one of the most significant public repositories of contemporary American folk and self-taught art in the world. The individual selected to fill the newly endowed position will oversee the study, exhibition, and care of folk and self-taught artworks in the museum's collection and spearhead the development of special exhibitions and programming.

A former managing partner of Atlanta Capital Management Company, LLC, Dan Boone is a member of the High's board of directors and a longtime collectors of folk and self-taught art.

"Since starting our Folk Art department in 1994, the High has worked to raise awareness and appreciation of folk and self-taught artists locally and nationally, building one of the preeminent folk art collections in the U.S.," said the museum’s director, Michael E. Shapiro. "This generous gift from the Boone family further establishes the High as a leader in the field, allowing the museum to build on its dedication to advancing new scholarship and fostering appreciation of this uniquely American genre. We are tremendously grateful for the Boone Family’s support, and we look forward to expanding on this foundational gift to grow the endowment over the next few years."