In 1991, the Trustees of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust authorized a grant for the endowment of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Fund for the Arts.  In 1992, the Kenan Fund for the Arts established the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Throughout its existence, the Kenan Institute for the Arts has been a means for partnering in the future of the arts, particularly through collaborations with other organizations that have potential for significant impact.  Under the leadership of its visionary and dedicated Board of Advisors, the Kenan Institute for the Arts has strengthened its association with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts through its projects and initiatives, while also maintaining its contacts and collaborations with other arts organizations nationally and internationally.