Extensive Florida art collection gifted to the University of Florida
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, November 14, 2024


Extensive Florida art collection gifted to the University of Florida
Thomas Moran (American, 1837-1926), Old Watchtower at St. Augustine, 1881, oil on canvas, 25 1/2 x 30 1/4 in., The Florida Art Collection, Gift of Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers, Photography by Randy Batista.



GAINESVILLE, FL.- A private collection of Florida works of art, some created by the foremost artists of their time, has a new home at the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida. The oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints—the largest single art collection ever donated to the university—as well as an extensive art library is a gift from native Floridians Sam and Robbie Vickers.

One of the world’s most extensive Florida-themed collections, the estimated 1,200 works of art capture the state’s landscape and wildlife, historical moments and people, and diverse scenes of daily life. Among the gifts are works by celebrated artists such as John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Martin Johnson Heade and Thomas Moran. The Jacksonville couple began meticulously and devotedly assembling their collection 40 years ago. Robbie Vickers is an artist who has brought her keen eye to the collection, while Sam Vickers has traveled the country—and in some cases even to Europe—to find art by world-renowned artists who came to Florida and captured its beauty. In the time since they began collecting, they have loaned art from their collection to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and assorted Florida museums.

The Vickers Collection is a transformational donation for the Harn Museum, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in September. The scope and importance of the collection will add considerably to the museum’s strategic plan, which includes the construction of a new wing that will include galleries and a print study and conservation center for the display and study of the collection.

“The educational part of it is very important to us,” Robbie Vickers said of the couple’s gift to UF. “Even though we know a great deal about the artists and the works of art, students and faculty and scholars can research and find out more. We want [the collection] to go to a place where that’s going to happen.”

Added Sam Vickers: “The flagship university of our state is a place where there’s already a wonderful museum, but our things will be able to be studied and enjoyed for decades to come. That will mean a lot to us. We know how great a home the Harn will be.”

The collection’s artists travelled from across the United States and Europe to capture the state’s natural beauty and history. In addition to Sargent, Homer, Heade, and Moran, some of the other renowned American artists include Milton Avery, Ralston Crawford, Louis Comfort Tiffany and Marguerite Zorach. Noted European artists include David Burliuk, Christian Eisele and Jules Pascin, among others. The works date from the early 1800s to mid-1900s.

“The Vickers Collection is unique in its power to convey both the exquisite natural beauty and the rich history of people in Florida — the ruggedness and grandeur of its landscapes and the highs and lows of its human history through the centuries,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “Sam and Robbie have shared a treasure with us, and we are thrilled to have the privilege of sharing their collection in turn with all visitors to the Harn Museum.”

This spring, the Harn Museum will display a portion of the collection in its main exhibition hall. The exhibition, A Florida Legacy: Gift of Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers, will be on view Feb. 26-Aug. 1. It will be organized along six thematic sections that address prominent subjects represented in the Vickers Collection: nature, history, landmarks, diversions, living and impressions.

“We are very thankful to Sam and Robbie Vickers for their generosity,” said Dr. Lee Anne Chesterfield, the Harn Museum of Art’s director. “This is a transformational gift for the Harn and the University of Florida that will increase the museum’s Modern Art Collection by more than double. As an integral part of the University of Florida campus, the Harn Museum of Art will share the Vickers’ gift as an important new resource to strengthen faculty collaboration, support teaching and enhance class tours, and provide research projects for future study.”










Today's News

February 4, 2021

Supreme Court rules for Germany in case on Nazi-era art

Mexico urges halt to artefact auction in France

Masterpiece of Impressionism by Mary Cassatt joins collection of Princeton University Art Museum

For Britain's art dealers, post-Brexit trade isn't so free

Going for gold: Eiffel Tower gets Olympic facelift

Galerie Templon opens an exhibition of works by Iván Navarro

Nationalmuseum acquires photographs by Henry B. Goodwin

Vettriano and other Scottish figurative painters flex saleroom muscles

Ricky Powell, 59, dies; chronicled early hip-hop and downtown New York

In the Ozarks, the pandemic threatens a fragile musical tradition

Saturday Evening Post covers pop in Swann Illustration Sale

Galleriesnow.net adds bookshop and library of rare collectors' items to ArtPassport, its virtual exhibitions app

Extensive Florida art collection gifted to the University of Florida

Tony Coke's new commission on Piccadilly Lights screen spotlights struggle for civil rights in 2021

The Phillips Collection announces $2 million endowment for Chief Diversity Officer

New grant-making program accelerates climate change action in visual arts

Columbus Museum to acquire piece by prominent glass artist Therman Statom

Ski lovers get their 'hit' by bidding at auction

Jonathan Meese inaugurates a new space at Tim Van Laere Gallery with a new series of ceramic masks

Studio Voltaire to reopen in October 2021 following completion of a £2.8 million capital project

Rising Spain designer takes haute couture to village home

Deaf drama 'CODA' and Questlove documentary win at Sundance

Hollywood explores Panther betrayal in 'Judas and the Black Messiah'

Allan Burns, a creator of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,' dies at 85

Rebecca Ferguson




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful