More than a decade ago, Julia Dolan visited Portland for the first time to interview for a position as The Minor White Curator of Photography at the Portland Art Museum. Not only the role at the Museum, but something about Portland excited her.

Fast forward to today: After more than a decade as a curator here, Julia continues to believe in Portland, our Museum, and the arts and cultural ecosystem that exists in our community. While there is much work to be done, she is moved by the progress the Museum has made in collecting, exhibiting, and celebrating a wider range of stories through art.

To ensure that the Portland Art Museum continues to thrive and remain a cherished community asset long into the future, Julia has named the Portland Art Museum as one of the beneficiaries of her estate. Asked what inspired her to make this gift to the Museum, she explained, "I've seen museums grow and evolve in important and necessary ways over the past decade. I trust future generations of the Portland Art Museum staff to shape the collections and programming in ways that will respond to the world they will exist in—not the world as it is now. Museums should be responsive to change and center their communities' needs and desires, using art as a springboard to build greater empathy and connectedness."