In Memory of Lab Grandparent and Donor Agnes Gund
The Lab School of Washington was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Agnes Gund, philanthropist, patron of the arts, and grandmother to Alaisia (’27) and Tienesha (’28). Ms. Gund dedicated her life to championing the arts, bolstering the work of traditionally underrepresented artists, and ensuring access to the arts for all individuals and communities.
In 1977, Ms. Gund founded Studio in a School which serves young people in New York City by integrating the visual arts into teaching and learning, and provides professional development for artists and teachers. In 2017, she launched the Art for Justice Fund in partnership with the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to support criminal justice reform in the United States. In the years between and since, Ms. Gund served in numerous roles and her work was recognized with many honors. Highlights include her role as President Emerita and Life Trustee of the Museum of Modern Art and receiving the National Medal of Arts from President Bill Clinton in 1997 and the W.E.B DuBois Medal from Harvard University in 2022.
Lab’s Upper School students were honored to spend time with Ms. Gund during the January 2025 Visual & Performing Arts Trip to New York City. Ms. Gund generously coordinated for our group of 36 students and teachers to visit and tour MoMA free of charge, even joining Lab's tour of the museum and offering her expertise and insight into the pieces and artists the group was viewing. Her knowledge of the space and the works on display was truly invaluable and provided everyone in attendance with an experience they won't soon forget.
Lab’s entire community was strengthened by Ms. Gund’s support of our work on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. As a result of the investment made into Lab by Ms. Gund, we completed four professional development sessions in each division that focused on incorporating identity, equity, joy, and justice in classroom practice. Importantly, this work directly supported teachers in implementing and strengthening our Belonging Time curriculum across all three divisions. During the 2025-26 school year, these discussions continue in our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) where teachers have the opportunity to explore more sustained and embedded development. In addition to this work that enhances our program, Ms. Gund's support also enabled Lab to underwrite eight Staff members' attendance at the Administrators of Color in Independent Schools conference in Chicago in October.
Dr. Anthony Perry, Lab’s former Director of DEIB, shared that Ms. Gund's "philanthropy was essential to creating a true sense of belonging at The Lab School of Washington. I will always remember how her continued support demonstrated faith in us and a profound commitment to our community. With her commitment, Agnes Gund made me, and so many of us, feel believed in, supported, and uplifted.”
We are grateful to Ms. Gund for her support of The Lab School, her belief in the power of the arts, and her dedication to social justice.
