"A to Z" Exhibition Highlights the Gift of 1,300 Works to Ursinus College's Berman Museum of Art

“A to Z: Highlighting the Berman Collection” an exhibition


at the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, features a selection


of the more than 1,300 works of art recently gifted to the Museum by the Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation.

Nancy Berman, President of the Berman Foundation and


daughter of Philip and Muriel, has given the collection to Ursinus College in



honor of her parents.

“My parents believed that exposing


students to art would


help lay a foundation for a life of creativity, enjoyment and


curiosity…no


matter what discipline they studied,” said Nancy Berman. “They found a


willing and responsive partner in Ursinus College when they came


together nearly 25


years ago to create an art museum on the campus of my dad’s alma


mater. With this gift, the Berman now has a permanent collection that


can be exhibited,


loaned out to other institutions and used for research by the students


and the


faculty. I can think of no better way to honor my parents’ remarkable


legacy.”

This exhibition honoring the gift presents a selection of more than two dozen


works from the gift. On view from October 20, 2013, through January 12, 2014, A


to Z is the first exhibition to be presented by the Berman Museum’s


new


Director, Charles Stainback. The exhibition


was organized by Stainback, Ursinus Professor of Art History Matt Shoaf,


and an interdisciplinary mix of Ursinus students, whose majors range


from psychology


to international relations.

A to Z speaks to the breadth and depth of the


collection as both an exhibition vehicle and a teaching resource. The works in A to Z are presented in alphabetical order by the artist’s last name, an


unconventional exhibition strategy designed to foster


new ideas and unexpected connections between objects.

Among the featured artists and artworks are:




Lynn Chadwick
The Pair of Sitting Figures III
The Berman holds the largest private collection of maquettes and  large-scale sculpture by Lynn Chadwick, dating


from 1957-1987 as part of its Outdoor Sculpture Collection on the grounds of


the College.

Françoise Gilot
Portrait of Muriel Berman with Flowers, n.d.
Acrylic on board
The collaboration between Gilot and the Berman Museum of Art is a rich


one, and she holds an honorary degree from Ursinus College. Known by many for


her relationship with Pablo Picasso, Gilot was an accomplished artist in her


own right. This portrait of Museum benefactor Muriel Berman typifies her use of color and line.

Andy Warhol
Birmingham Race Riot, 1964
Screenprint on paper
This notorious and powerful image made following the May 1963 riot in


Alabama captures the nation’s racial


tensions at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Created from a photograph first published in



Life magazine, it is an example of Warhol’s use of appropriation and the only



photo-based work in the exhibition.

Gilbert Stuart
John Fitzgibbon  (Chancellor of


Ireland), ca. 1787-1793
Stuart is widely considered to be one of America’s foremost


portraitists and is best known for his painting of George Washington which


appears on the U.S. one dollar bill. John Fitzgibbon, Chancellor Ireland (1979


-1802) remains a controversial figure in Irish History. A staunch


anti-Catholic, he was an early supporter of Union with England.  This work is a testament to the more than


1000 portraits (six of U.S. presidents) that Stuart painted in his lifetime.

In the months leading up to the October opening, Stainback


has overseen the refurbishment of the Berman Museum, which opened in 1989. The


improvements to the building have opened up the gallery space and introduced a



new color palette to revitalize the interior of the Museum. The modernization



of the facility also includes a redesign of the lobby, which has expanded the



area for visitors to gather and serves as an entry point to the Berman.




The Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus


College is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and noon to 4:30


p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Museum is closed Mondays and college holidays.


Admission is free. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of


Museums and is accessible to visitors with disabilities.