NORFOLK, VA.- Glass collectors Lisa and Dudley Anderson have made a promised gift of 97 artworks to
The Chrysler Museum of Art, which will provide a permanent home for their collection spanning four decades of studio and contemporary glass. Their donation is the Museums largest single gift of works since the arrival of Walter Chryslers artworks in 1971.
The diversity and depth of the Anderson collection is represented through 40 artists from seven countries. Forty-seven works are by the pioneering Czech couple Stanislav Libenský and Jaroslava Brychtová, well-known for their light-filled sculptures demonstrating technical mastery. Previously, the Andersons donated three works by the artists ― all monumental in scale and on view in the Chrysler Museums permanent collection.
The promised gift will add works by Ivan Mare, Dana Zámečníková, Marion Karel, Václav Cigler, Vladimira Klumpar, Pavel Tomecko and Václav Machač, further cementing the Chrysler as a noteworthy venue for contemporary Czech glass. The collection also includes a ceramic sculpture by California artist Robert Arneson, as well as prints and drawings by Dale Chilhuly, Italo Scanga, Ann Wolff, Harvey Littleton, Erwin Eisch and Ulrica Hydman-Vallien.
This glass collection, so thoughtfully assembled by Lisa and Dudley, enables us to explore new ideas and themes in exhibitions and permanent displays, said Diane Wright, Barry Curator of Glass for the Chrysler Museum. Were grateful for their ongoing commitment and tremendous support of glass at the Chrysler Museum of Art.
The Andersons passion for collecting has taken them around the world. While their interests include drawings, prints and ceramics, their primary focus is on studio and contemporary glass from the 1970s to the present. The Andersons, residents of Wilson, N.C., enjoy the excitement of discovering new artists and museums, the connections built through long-term friendships and the joy of exploring new places. The Museum will honor the Andersons at its Major Donor Dinner on Sept. 27 in recognition of their generous donation.
The Andersons gift adds to the growing renown of the Chrysler Museums glass collection and glass studio. In May, the Chrysler Museum published a new glass collection catalogue, Glass: Masterworks in Glass from the Chrysler Museum of Art, and in June, hosted the 2017 Glass Art Society conference, bringing artists to Norfolk from around the world.
It is very gratifying to know Lisa and Dudley have chosen the Chrysler as the eventual home for this impressive collection, said Chrysler Museum Director Erik Neil. I believe it speaks to the overall quality of our collection and the professionalism of the institution. We will remain conscientious stewards of the art that has been entrusted to us.