The Collectors at the Art Museum of the University of Kentucky support this institution with their hearts and with their financial contributions, which are used to purchase exciting pieces of art. Since its founding in September 1999, the Collectors group has grown to more than 80 members whose dues have provided the funds to buy six important sculptures and paintings in the areas of Impressionism, American Modernism and contemporary sculpture.

Members of the Collectors take their mission to help shape the growth of the museum’s permanent collection for the benefit of our community quite seriously, but that doesn’t preclude them from having a great time! The group enjoys educational programs, lectures, and visits to museums and private collections.

The most recent acquisitions, a stunning sculpture and a bench by artist Peter Woytuk, have completely transformed our outdoor sculpture garden. Woytuk’s work demonstrates both his command of bronze casting and his subtle sense of humor.  The Pair features a pair of pears that have been modeled into sensuous organic form, while his Raven Bench features the inquisitive bird, noted for its intelligence and playful manner, perched atop an 11-foot-long slab of weathered stone.Within days of their installation in October 2010, it became commonplace to find students posing for pictures on the bench and in front of the sculpture. Other purchases supported by the collectors include:

Quietude, 1891, by American Impressionist Mary Cassatt. The group’s inaugural purchase, timed to coincide with the Art Museum’s 25th anniversary in 2001, is an exquisite drypoint etching of a mother and child by an internationally renowned artist.

EastWest, 2002, by Montana artist Deborah Butterfield. Using sticks and plant materials, Butterfield creates graceful sculptures whose fluid lines perfectly capture the essence of the animal. Her work is then painstakingly cast in bronze and given a patina that perfectly mimics the original materials. EastWest, a favorite among museum visitors, was added to the collection in 2003.

Landscape, 1917, and Young Girl, undated by pioneer American Modernist William Zorach. In 2007, the Collectors purchased two significant works of early American Modernism, a watercolor and a bronze sculpture, which showcase the artist’s use of expressive line, form and color.