DURHAM — The founding family of the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University announced Wednesday a new pair of endowments totaling $5 million.

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Fund for Acquisitions, in the amount of $4 million, will support purchases of modern and contemporary art.

The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Visiting Curatorship Fund, a $1 million endowment, will provide the funds to bring top scholars to Duke to organize special exhibitions and projects.

“The visionary gift continues the generous tradition of philanthropy by the Nasher/Haemisegger family in support of Duke’s museum,” Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead said. “We are grateful for this new commitment by Nancy and David, reflecting their deep understanding of the many ways the Nasher Museum enriches the Duke community, enhances the educational experience for our students, and extends Duke’s welcome to Durham and the region.”

The museum was named after Nancy Nasher’s late father, Raymond Nasher, a 1943 graduate of Duke, after he donated $10 million for its founding in 2005.

After her father died in 2007, Nancy Nasher and husband David Haemisegger gave $1 million to name the position of curator of contemporary art at the museum after her parents, Patsy and Raymond Nasher.

The latest endowments from the Nasher/Haemisegger family add up to more than $16 million in gifts total.

“This extraordinary gift is transformative for the Nasher Museum and marks a milestone in our development,” said Kimberly Rorschach, the museum’s Mary D.B.T. and James H. Semans Director.

Nancy Nasher is the incoming chair of the museum’s Board of Advisors; Haemisegger also serves on the board. Both serve on the board’s collection committee.

“Our family’s vision and passion for Duke to have one of the leading university art museums in the country has become a reality,” said Nasher, a 1979 graduate of Duke Law School.

She and her husband are co-owners and developers of NorthPark Center in Dallas, Texas.

Caulder: 919-829-4758