Topics: College of Fine Arts, Scholarships

November 12, 2009

A gift totaling more than $364,000 has been contributed by a Muncie woman. The support will help provide funds for the expansion of the Ball State Museum of Art, including additional spaces for collections, conservation, classrooms, studios, offices and gatherings.

Ruth VanderLaan Halberg was a Muncie resident from 1968 until her death on Sept. 1, 2008. She graduated from the Sheboygan (Wis.) High School in 1936 and the University of Wisconsin in 1940. She and her husband, Robert, previously lived in Detroit and Des Plaines, Ill., before moving to Muncie.

Halberg strongly believed in community involvement, and once said that her husband supported Ball State because of "the good it has done for the community, as well as for its students.

Securement of these funds is concurrent with Ball State Bold: Investing in the Future capital campaign being conducted through 2011.

By Aly Brumback