UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 39, Page 5
August 17, 1995
Art collection enriches UD campus environment

     Much of the art that hangs on the walls of UD offices and in the
foyers of campus buildings is part of the University of Delaware's
Permanent Art Collection, which includes more than 1,000 paintings,
sculpture, furniture, silver pieces, porcelain and several nautical
pieces.
     Currently, more than 900 pieces are displayed in campus offices
and buildings, with others in storage or awaiting restoration.
     "The purpose of the University's collection is to be on display
and to be enjoyed by members of the campus community as well as
visitors," according to Jean Brown, director of records management and
archival services, who oversees the collection.
     "I like the fact that the works make people happy. Actually, it's
kind of unusual for people at institutions to have original artworks
hanging in their offices. It's a nice opportunity for those who work
on campus. In some places, some of our significant pieces would not be
allowed to be displayed or used. Instead they would be kept under
glass or in a vault."
     Brown conducts an annual inventory of the collection for
insurance purposes, verifying the location and condition of each
piece. When necessary, she arranges for appraisals and repairs. She
also responds to requests for artwork from campus employees and units.
     In addition, she handles inquiries from external museums and
organizations that express interest in pieces from the University
collection for traveling exhibitions or shows in area museums.
     "Pieces from the collection are requested a few times each year,"
she said. "Oftentimes, they are lent to museums within the tri-state
area, such as the Brandywine River Museum, the Delaware Art Museum and
the Historical Society of Delaware. We've also had works in the
National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C." Woodchopper, a painting
by Andrew Wyeth, is currently on loan to "The Andrew Wyeth
Retrospective" exhibition on tour in Japan.
     The majority of the items in the collection have been donated to
the University by artists and collectors, or they were received as
gifts in bequests.
     Brown said she has just completed the latest five-year review of
the collection with an appraiser contracted by the University.
Maintaining information on each item's value is important for record
keeping and insurance purposes.
     According to the appraiser, Brown said, the University has a
number of significant items that are "worthwhile in both an artistic
and monetary sense."