The Foundation for the Reading Public Museum has announced the acquisition of more than 250 works from the Freedman Gallery Collection of Albright College. These works, which include paintings, photographs and prints, will join the rich holdings of the Reading Public Museum, allowing them to remain in Reading and in an accessible collection.
Even before the public announcement that Albright would sell its collection of art, Museum staff had been reaching out to administrators at the college worried that a sale might be imminent, and if that was to be the case, was there a path to retain some of the collection for the community at The Museum. This discussion between the two institutions led to an agreement that would secure a large number of works for The Museum, saving them from a public sale that would likely take them into private ownership.
“We are delighted with this result,” stated Geoffrey K. Fleming, the Executive Director & CEO of The Museum. “For many months now we have been quietly working with our counterparts at Albright to find a way to keep a portion of this material here in Reading, and we are now able to report that we have been successful in this endeavor,” he continued. “This was a meaningful outcome for all involved,” said James Gaddy, Vice President of Administration at Albright College. “We’re proud to have preserved important works for the community and kept them accessible to the public.”
This was no easy task. It took many months for Museum staff to review the list of items held by the Freedman Gallery and compare them to the existing permanent collection holdings at The Museum. “While few may be aware of this, The Museum holds the largest collection of artwork between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and because of this, we really had to perform our own due diligence to not only figure out what best enhanced our collection but also to avoid duplicating anything,” stated RPM Curator Scott Schweigert.
Once a list of objects was selected, internal discussions began with the committee that oversees the collection at The Museum, where there was enthusiastic support to proceed with acquiring the works. “Everyone recognized this was an important moment for Albright, The Museum and the community, and that we needed to step up if at all possible,” said Fleming. “An additional issue is that The Museum has a very small pool of money to purchase works, and unlike many of our counterparts, that fund is not endowed, so we are always looking to maximize what we can do with those dollars,” he continued.
The Museum settled on a selection of works that enhance the already existing collection and reflect the Reading of today, including works by women, African-American artists and Latino artists. Among the acquisitions are works by Audrey Flack (American 1931-2024), Francoise Gilot (French 1921-2023), Bridget Riley (British b. 1931), Gloria Vanderbilt (American 1924-2019), Romare Bearden (American 1911-1988), Elizabeth Catlett (Mexican/American 1915-2012), Jacob Lawrence (American 1917-2000), Gordon Parks (American 1912-2006), Rufino Tamayo (Mexican 1899-1991) and Salvador Corratge (Cuban 1928-2014).
Other artists represented in the acquisition include additionally renowned masters, including Claes Oldenburg (Swedish/American 1929-2022), sculptor and printmaker Henry Moore (British, 1898-1986), Robert Rauschenberg (American 1925-2008), James Rosenquist (American 1933-2017), Hunt Slonem (American b. 1951), Tom Wesselman (American 1931-2004), and Brett Weston (American 1911-1993).
Several locally important pieces were also acquired. These include a large oil by Kyohei Inukai (American 1913-1985) which depicts Gustav Oberlaender (1867-1936), one of the founders and benefactors of the Reading Public Museum and an early collaborative landscape work by Christopher High Shearer (Berks County Pennsylvania, 1846-1926), and Francis Daniel Devlan (Berks County Pennsylvania, 1835-1870). A very interesting painting by the sculptor George Rickey (American 1907-2002) was also purchased. While Rickey is primarily known for his kinetic sculptures, originally, he was a painter and during the New Deal worked for the W.P.A. program as a muralist while also teaching at Muhlenberg College in nearby Allentown. The work, a 1942 portrait of Reading High School graduate and actor Arthur G. Watson (1920-2003), depicts a young man ready to launch himself into a precarious world, fraught by war.
In the next year, The Museum hopes to mount an exhibition of some of the works acquired and begin on creating a traveling show that can celebrate the rich history of the collection.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $14 adults (18-64), $8 children/seniors/college students (w/ ID), $6 active military (w/ ID), and free to Members and children three years old and under.
Currently enrolled Reading School District students and up to five accompanying guests receive free regular Museum admission and free admission to public Neag Planetarium shows with proof of enrollment. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Online: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.