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New Book Features Vast Art Collection of Longtime VWU Benefactors
Brock family adds to ongoing legacy supporting arts and education
University News | January 1, 2024
For decades, the Brock family has significantly influenced the arts and education scene in Coastal Virginia. Joan Brock, alongside her late husband Macon, have shown a profound dedication to the region, particularly through their support of the Chrysler Museum of Art and Virginia Wesleyan University, nurturing local talent and cultural enrichment. 
It was appropriate at a lunch at DeFord Manor at Virginia Wesleyan University that Erik H. Neil, the Macon and Joan Brock Director of the Chrysler Museum of Art, presented Virginia Wesleyan University with copies of the museum’s newly released book "A Shared Vision: The Macon and Joan Brock Collection of American Art.” Richly illustrated and thoroughly researched, this volume showcases one of the most significant collections of American art assembled in the twenty-first century, and one that has helped transform the Chrysler Museum into a national leader in the exhibition, study, and appreciation of American art.
The Macon and Joan Brock Collection spans nearly one hundred years, from just after the Civil War to the mid-twentieth century. Works by a wide range of artists, from Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, and John Singer Sargent to Marsden Hartley, Max Weber, and George Bellows, chart a broad history of art, while less well-known figures such as Mary Fairchild MacMonnies, Helen Corson Hovenden, and Sally Michel Avery bolster the rich depth of the collection and propose new contours to the shape of art history. Together the works included in the volume and their scholarly commentaries offer a fresh look at one of the most vital and dynamic periods of American art. The book is now available in the H. C. Hofheimer II Library at VWU and prominently displayed in the president’s residence, DeFord Manor.
Joan and Macon Brock are among VWU’s most devoted supporters. A native of Norfolk, Ms. Brock served on VWU’s President’s Advisory Council from 1996-1999, the Board of Trustees from 1999-2006, and was Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2001-2004. The University awarded her with an honorary doctorate in 2010. She has served as Trustee Emerita since 2015.
"For decades, Joan and Macon Brock have been pivotal in shaping the cultural landscape of our region, intertwining the arts and education in a manner that resonates deeply with Virginia Wesleyan University's ethos. Their commitment to fostering a rich arts community, particularly through their significant support of both the Chrysler Museum of Art and VWU, has been nothing short of transformative. It brings me immense joy and a sense of privilege that Virginia Wesleyan University will house one of the first copies of 'A Shared Vision: The Macon and Joan Brock Collection of American Art.'” said Dr. Scott D. Miller, President of Virginia Wesleyan University.
President Miller believes this book not only celebrates the Brocks' vast art collection but also symbolizes the enduring bond between VWU and the Chrysler Museum, highlighting shared dedication to cultural enrichment and education. “The Brocks' legacy is a beacon of philanthropy and vision,” he said, “illuminating the path for future generations."
The strength of Virginia Wesleyan today can be traced in significant ways to the leadership and support of Mrs. Brock and her late husband. Many different aspects of the University have benefited from her genuine interest in students, programs and facilities, and from her wise consideration of how to make the University stronger.
In recognition of their generous support of the Robert Nusbaum Center, student scholarships, residence hall improvements, athletics, and other programs, the University has named multiple facilities after the couple including Joan and Macon Brock Village, Brock Commons, the Joan and Macon Brock Theatre in the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, and the Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences.
In 2024-25, a new building for the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art will be constructed on the Virginia Wesleyan University campus through the generosity of Joan Brock, Jane Batten, and David and Susan Goode.