Art Dept. to receive large group of Andy Warhol photos for its permanent collection

Fort Worth

10/26/2007

Directors of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City and its Photographic Legacy Program recently announced an unprecedented gift of Warhol art to 183 college and university art museums across the U.S. TCU’s Art & Art History Department is one of four Texas institutions named as recipients, according to Ronald G. Watson, chairman of the department.

There are 28,543 Polaroid photos and gelatin silver prints, valued in excess of $28 million, in the collection being divided. TCU will receive approximately 150 of the pieces created by the late pop artist Andy Warhol. Watson estimates their value at approximately $150,000.  Until the photos arrive, probably in January, he cannot be certain of their content and subject matter, he says. Plans are for a public exhibition of the works, once they have been evaluated and recorded as part of TCU’s permanent collection.

Meanwhile, "They will be a great study collection for our students in many areas — photography, studio art, art history and art education," according to Watson.

Other Texas grantees are Texas Tech University, University of Texas/El Paso and the University of Houston.