A Legacy for the Arts

I never met Margot Irish. She was a teacher and volleyball coach in Sleepy Hollow. She lived in White Plains.  She passed away in 2009. She may have graduated Horace Greeley High School. I am not certain of that, but according to a tribute on the school’s website, she loved the arts.  I believe this is true.  A week ago, I received word that Margot Irish remembered ArtsWestchester in her will. How could I have missed knowing this generous woman who lived in White Plains and loved the arts?  I thought, perhaps, our database would reveal something about her. Indeed it did.

Each year, for 20 years, Margot Irish sent a check of $50 to ArtsWestchester. How generous. How consistent. How anonymous. I thought a lot about Margot Irish in the ensuing days. As a teacher, she probably had limited means, but she made it a practice to give what she could without ever being asked and without expecting anything in return. She gave consistently…never skipped a year until her death. Her $50 check was something we could count on year after year, whether she liked our current exhibition or not. Then there was the fact that she lived in White Plains. She must have known how much it would mean to a small but nimble organization like ours to be supported by its community. No matter what the amount, it always makes us feel relevant and appreciated.

I wondered whether Margot Irish had ever stepped foot in our building. Maybe not. I’d like to think that to her it was important to have an arts center in her community whether she personally used its resources or not.  After all…every arts center needs a little love, especially nowadays.