LEGACY SOCIETY | July 2025

Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn’s Lasting Impact on the Museum of International Folk Art

When Santa Fe couple Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn began thinking about their legacy more than a decade ago, they knew they wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. What they didn’t expect was how profoundly a single museum visit would shape their giving.

Moved by an early experience at the Museum of International Folk Art’s Gallery of Conscience—a space dedicated to socially engaged folk art—they found themselves deeply inspired. “The exhibition we saw resonated with us in ways that were unexpected,” Dale recalls. “It wasn't just about the objects. It was about the people, their stories, and the urgent issues those stories revealed.”

That visit sparked conversations with museum leadership and the Foundation’s Planned Giving team. As the couple explored the idea of a legacy gift, one question kept rising to the surface: why wait?

From that conversation, a bold idea took shape—support the Gallery of Conscience now, during their lifetimes, and see the impact firsthand. Their generosity led to the creation of what is now the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience, a proud member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a global network of museums and memory sites working to connect past human rights struggles with present-day movements for justice.

Since its founding, the Gallery has become a powerful platform for community dialogue, storytelling, and reflection—amplifying global voices and spotlighting issues from climate justice and migration to gender rights and cultural survival. In doing so, it has become a unique part of MOIFA’s identity and a leader in museum activism worldwide.

But Mark and Dale’s commitment doesn’t end there. Through a planned bequest, they are ensuring the Gallery’s future by establishing an endowment in their estate plan. Their goal: to sustain exhibitions that not only honor traditional arts but confront the modern threats these traditions face—war, displacement, climate change, and more.

For Mark, the connection to MOIFA runs even deeper. He first visited the museum on its opening day over 70 years ago with his grandfather. “That day left an imprint,” he reflects. “It’s part of why this museum—and what it stands for—means so much to me.”

Today, Mark and Dale are seeing the fruits of their vision. The exhibitions they helped make possible are inspiring visitors from around the world and engaging communities in urgent conversations. Their legacy is alive—and growing.

As we look ahead to Make a Will Month in August, their story reminds us of the transformative power of planning ahead. A planned gift isn’t just about the future—it’s about living your values now, and ensuring they endure long after you’re gone.

Interested in creating your own cultural legacy? To learn more about planned giving options and how you can make an impact like Mark and Dale, contact Laura Sullivan at laura@museumfoundation.org or 505.216.0829.

Together, we can shape a future where folk art continues to inspire, connect, and advocate for generations to come.