ASHEVILLE, NC.- The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce the acquisition of twelve new artworks, made possible through the generosity of its Collectors' Circle members and additional contributors. The Museum welcomed artworks created throughout the 20th and 21st centuries in various media, representing regionally and nationally recognized artists. These artists included Ruth Asawa, Romare Bearden, Red Grooms, and Louise Nevelson. Additionally, compelling photography by Arthur Leipzig and Cara Romero, as well as unique Pottery by Eugene and works by other artists.
The Collectors' Circle, a group dedicated to fostering the exchange of ideas, art learning, connoisseurship, and collecting, played a crucial role in the realization of these acquisitions. This exclusive and passionate community actively supports the Museum's Collection, contributing to its proactive development, stewardship, and conservation.
"As someone new to Asheville, I joined the Collector's Circle to get a better idea of the art-curious community here," said Tyler Emerson-Dorsch. "Art is a great way to start a conversation! I invited a friend to the Annual Dinner in December, and we were delighted to discover other curious and passionate souls. I love hearing how the curators and the Museum's long-time director, Pam Myers, advocate for the pieces that they would really like for the Museum's Collection. Their presentations helped me to learn about the Museum's rich collection and deep investment in telling the stories of Western North Carolina and how the region fits into broader stories of art."
The Collectors' Circle Members actively contribute to the growth of the Museum's Collection through annual purchases funded by an acquisition fund created from yearly dues. Their dedication to increasing knowledge of American art and fine art collecting is a driving force behind the success of these endeavors.
The Asheville Art Museum, with gratitude for these year-end acquisitions, is eager to share these additions with the Western North Carolina community and its many guests. The new artworks further enhance the strengths of the Museum's impressive collection, which boasts over 7,500 holdings.
2023 Collectors’ Circle Purchased Artworks
• Ruth Asawa, Bouquet from Anni, 1994. Offset lithograph on paper, 22 × 15 inches. Edition 26/100. Printer: Magnolia Editions, Oakland, CA.2023 Collectors’ Circle Purchase, 2023.40.01. © Ruth Asawa Lanier Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
• Romare Bearden, Memories, 1974. Etching on paper, 22 × 29 ¾inches. Edition 1/1. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle member Joey Gigliotti, 2023.41.01. © Romare Bearden Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
• Pottery by Eugene, Pandemic/Covid-19, 2023. Glazed and incised stoneware, 16 × 9 × 9 inches. 2023 Collectors’ Circle Purchase, 2023.42.01. © Pottery by Eugene
• Red Grooms, Traffic!, 1999. 9-color 3D lithograph on BFK Rives paper in plexiglass case, 23 ⅜ × 28 ⅜ × 10 inches. Edition 46/75.Printer: Bud Shark. Publisher: Shark’s Ink, Lyons, CO. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Vito Lenoci and Frances Myers, 2023.43.01. © Red Grooms / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
• Fannie Hillsmith, Rose Clock, circa 1953. Oil tempera and sand on canvas, 36 × 34 inches. 2023 Collectors’ Circle Purchase, 2023.44.01. © Estate of Fannie Hillsmith
• Arthur Leipzig, Divers East River, 1948 (printed later).Gelatin silver print on paper, sheet: 15 ⅞ × 19 ⅞ inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Gary & Olivia Zahler, 2023.45.01. © Estate of Arthur Leipzig
• Bea Nettles, Mountain Dream Tarot, 1975. 78 photographic cards: off-set hand-colored photographic prints on fiber paper machine-stitched between layers of frosted mylar encased in a portfolio box, each 4 ½ × 3 ¾ inches. 1st edition. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Nat C. Myers Photography Fund, 2023.46.01-80. © Bea Nettles
• Cara Romero, T.V. Indians, 2017 (printed 2023). Archival pigment print on Epson Legacy Platine paper, 38 ⅞ × 59 ⅝ inches. Edition 1/3. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Butch & Kathy Patrick, 2023.47.01. © Cara Romero
• Louise Nevelson, The Wild Jungle, circa 1953. Etching and engraving on paper, 19 ⅞ × 25 ¼ inches. Edition 1/20. Publisher: Atelier 17. 2023 Collectors’ Circle Purchase with additional funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Joey Gigliotti and Steven Gigliotti, 2023.48.01. © Louise Nevelson Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
• Gail Singer, Les Parques, 1956. Open-bite etching with simultaneous color printing on paper, 19 ¾ × 23 ¾ inches. Edition 5/25. Publisher: Atelier 17. Museum purchase with funds provided by Rick & Maggi Swanson, 2023.48.02. © Estate of Gail Singer
• Shirley E. Witebsky, Tree, circa 1958. Open-bite etching with simultaneous color printing on Arches paper, 14 × 19 ½ inches. AP. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Gary Greener& Bret McAllister, 2023.48.04. © Estate of Shirley E. Witebsky
• Jonathan Williams, Into the Into, 1950. Engraving, aquatint, and embossing on paper, 4 ½ × 6 inches. Edition 5/9. Publisher: Atelier 17. Museum purchase with funds provided by 2023 Collectors’ Circle members Marilyn Laufer & Tom Butler, 2023.48.03. © Estate of Jonathan Williams
