Via PR

Brushwood Center announced an historic $2.5 million gift from the Hunter Family Foundation. The gift, the largest in Brushwood history, will go toward the construction of a new performance plaza, to be named in honor of Maxine M. Hunter, Brushwood Center’s first board chair.

The Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza at Brushwood Center will have a profound impact on the accessibility, reach, and impact of our work supporting the health and well-being of participants from all backgrounds and experiences in healing art and nature programming. This incredible gift enables Brushwood to expand its wide range of programming for children, adults, families and Veterans, and comes at a time of growing concern about public resources dedicated to the environment and sustainability. 

The new plaza will be a dynamic, three-season open-air event space four times larger than the current structure, enhancing Brushwood’s ability to reach broader audiences, host more participants, and explore new, creative programs. The plaza will offer a seamless transition between indoor comfort and outdoor connection, allowing Brushwood visitors to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of nature while immersed in music, movement, and creative expression. 

We are grateful to the Hunter Family Foundation for this transformative gift that will enable Brushwood Center to expand access to nature for our neighbors and communities through the arts, healing, and education. In honoring the legacy of Maxine Hunter, the Foundation underscores the critical importance of local commitment to community organizations, particularly vital when so many federal resources are being cut back.

Maxine Hunter was born and raised in Lake Forest and remained connected to her community and philanthropic endeavors throughout her life. As the first board chair of Brushwood Center, Maxine believed people visited Brushwood to experience serenity, study, and tranquility and most people left with a sense of awe of nature. She once said, "I work on things that are important to me: art, nature, conservation. We should be supportive of the community we live in, to make the world a better place." 

We are honored to continue Maxine's legacy at Brushwood with the Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza, and extend our deepest gratitude to the Hunter Family Foundation.