Bushnell, Colangelo Bequest Supports Hilliard Museum
A bequest from Chad Bushnell and Terri Colangelo will support the Hilliard Art Museum's preservation and collection funds.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Philanthropy
Chad Bushnell and Terri Colangelo have made a bequest to the Hilliard Art Museum at the University of Louisiana Lafayette. The gift will support the museum's preservation and collection support funds, as well as restoration of the A. Hays Town Building.
Why it matters
The bequest is intended to help sustain the museum's future. It directs private support toward both the care of its collection and the physical restoration of a historic campus building.
The only figure in the release is Chad Bushnell's 1974 graduation year in architecture from the University of Louisiana Lafayette, then known as USL. The release does not disclose the value of the bequest or when it will be realized.
The players
Chad Bushnell
Bushnell is a 1974 architecture graduate of the University of Louisiana Lafayette, then known as USL, who made the bequest with his wife.
Terri Colangelo
Colangelo is the wife of Chad Bushnell and joined him in making the bequest to the Hilliard Art Museum.
Hilliard Art Museum
The Hilliard Art Museum is the university art museum at the University of Louisiana Lafayette that received the bequest.
The details
Chad Bushnell and his wife, Terri Colangelo, made the bequest to the Hilliard Art Museum. The gift will support the museum's preservation and collection support funds as well as restoration of the A. Hays Town Building.
Timeline
- News release announcing the bequest published November 10, 2026.
Legacy Giving
The gift ties a 1974 architecture alumnus back to the University of Louisiana Lafayette, directing private support toward the Hilliard Art Museum on campus. It extends the donor's relationship with the institution beyond his own studies.
Local art lovers and university visitors may see continued preservation work at the Hilliard Art Museum as a result of the gift. The bequest does not change admission or programming as reported in the source.
The takeaway
Planned gifts from alumni can quietly sustain campus cultural institutions for decades. Supporting a local university museum through estate planning is one way to help preserve both collections and historic buildings.
Further reading
Explore more philanthropy coverage for Lafayette.
