The Gift

John Kluge’s Donation

In 2001, John Kluge donated 7,379 acres of Albemarle County property to the University of Virginia Foundation, including Morven Farm, to be used for educational and charitable purposes while maintaining the character of a traditional Albemarle County estate.

Media mogul and philanthropist John W. Kluge purchased Morven from the Stone family in 1988. The property was one of a series of farms in Albemarle County owned by Kluge. At Morven, Kluge installed sculptures by Rodin, Maillol, Moore, and others across the landscape, using the farm as an outdoor gallery.

In 1992, Kluge supervised the building of a remarkable four-acre Japanese garden and tea pavilion designed by Japanese architect, Koji Tsunoda, and aided locally by Charlottesville landscape architect, Will Reilly. They used traditional ancient techniques and incorporated more than 50 plants indigenous to Japan and America.

After Kluge’s donation to UVAF in 2001, non-core property was sold to establish endowments to support maintenance and programming of the property. Morven’s current acreage includes forty-three buildings and a core property to be held in perpetuity. The estate and gardens are maintained by a dedicated team of UVA Foundation staff, several of whom have worked on the property for over three decades. UVA’s programs at Morven are managed by Morven Programs of the UVA Office for Academic Outreach.

Morven has been and continues to be a place of exploration and invention. While all of the owners maintained the traditional Albemarle farm appearance, they each altered the condition of the place in some way, adding farm buildings, gardens, and art. The University has the opportunity to build on this tradition of innovation.

Reflecting on the life of Stewart Gamage

Stewart H. Gamage served as Morven’s first Program Director from 2008 to 2019. Her significant contributions to the University and Morven range from inaugurating the Morven Kitchen Garden program, to envisioning and establishing the Presidential Precinct, to creating the Stettinius Prize for Global Leadership, and the 2017 Women’s Global Leadership Forum in honor of UVA’s Bicentennial. Stewart’s creative vision was the spark for so many students, faculty, and community members to imagine Morvenas a living laboratory. Beyond her professional achievements, Stewart was a humble leader of the highest moral integrity, who led with her heart from a place of passion for public service and human rights. She dedicated her life to facing the big challenges in our society, and she had a talent for convening teams of practitioners, academics, students, and thought leaders together to turn ideas into action. The network of emerging leaders impacted by Stewart’s vision and mentorship will ensure her mission and legacy will resonate through the decades.

You can read more about her life in her obituary. Her family is developing two fellowships in her honor through William & Mary – one dedicated to advancing global diplomacy, the other focused on service in Virginia. More information to come, but in the meantime, in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support these new fellowships.