The Vesalius Trust 2020 Online Silent Auction

The Vesalius Trust is excited to host its very first online Alan W. Cole Memorial Auction. Despite the pandemic, we have received a wonderful assortment of donations and there's something of interest for everyone—from the historical to the contemporary. Although the format is different this year, the auction still retains the spirit of the Trust in helping our student scholars.

Since 1988, the Trust has been raising money for scholarships and research grants for students in health science visual communications. One hundred percent of auction proceeds fund these student awards. Our goal is to raise enough money under these difficult circumstances to help support the next group of students as they move forward into our wonderful profession.

Thank you for your generosity in helping the Vesalius Trust and ensuring the future of our profession. Together, let’s make a challenging year into something visionary.

#VT2020vision

The Vesalius Trust for Visual Communication in the Health Sciences was established and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation in 1988, the result of the efforts of leading professionals in the field of medical illustration. It was their desire to establish a foundation to raise and maintain funds for education and research in the field of medical illustration and related professions. Though a wholly separate entity, the Vesalius Trust works hand in hand with the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI) in the support of both student and professional education and the promotion of excellence in what now is more commonly referred to as the profession of biomedical visual communication.

The Vesalius Trust is named after pioneering Renaissance anatomist and physician, Andreas Vesalius, whose atlas masterpiece, De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Structure of the Human Body), originally published in 1543, revolutionized and modernized anatomic understanding.

Since its inception, the Vesalius Trust has distributed nearly $600,000 in support of scholarships, research grants, and continuing education, including the popular annual Art and Anatomy tours. Additionally, the Trust has lent its support to the preservation of traditional media medical illustration in collaboration with the Lloyd Library and Museum in Cincinnati, OH. The Trust has remained nimble and resilient throughout its 32 years, having weathered the storm of uncertain economic times and, more recently, the substantial challenges of a pandemic. However, the Trust’s outlook is bright and thus it will continue to support the tripartite goals of advancing education, promoting excellence, and preserving the rich history of biomedical visual communication.