Warhol photos boost Crossman Gallery collection

A recent gift of more than 150 photographs valued at $163,000 from famed pop artist Andy Warhol is a huge boost to the already growing reputation of the Crossman Gallery on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus.

Warhol, famous for the Campbell’s soup cans and montage of Marilyn Monroe, was a prolific artist whose work reached across mediums such as print, photography and film. He is considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century. UW-Whitewater's curator of the Crossman Gallery Michael Flanagan said, "These pieces give the university and the Crossman Gallery real name recognition." Some of the photos are currently on display in an exhibit highlighting the Crossman's permanent collection.

So how did UW-Whitewater end up with the Warhol pieces? They come from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which donates photographs to educational institutions across the country through its Photographic Legacy Program.

"The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is pleased to have the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater participating in the Photographic Legacy Program," Project Curator Jenny Moore said. "Through this program, a range of educational institutions and their communities have access to an important and yet little known body of Warhol's work. The photographs provide a wealth of information about Warhol's art and artistic process, as well as the life he lived and the world around him. We are thrilled that the Crossman Gallery is already exhibiting a selection of photographs donated through the program, fulfilling our hope that a broader audience would have the chance to view, study and enjoy Warhol's work."

The black-and-white photos and Polaroid portraits include head shots of Mick Jagger, tennis professionals Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe and golfer Jack Nicklaus, among others, along with photos of parties and outdoor scenes.

"If you were to ask a student walking across campus to name an artist, Warhol would be one of the names that would come to mind," Flanagan said.

He said the photos will serve UW-Whitewater art students well, giving them firsthand access to authentic pieces of art.

"It's important to have a good teaching collection for our students," Flanagan said. "We need to have pieces from which they can learn something."

Students may study the black-and-white photos to better understand Warhol's compositional skill and eye for detail. Flanagan said the Polaroid portraits may have been study shots for Warhol's paintings and students may have the opportunity to study those in an art history course.

The Crossman Gallery plans to do an exhibit featuring the newly acquired Warhol photos. In the meantime, the public can view select pieces on display in the Crossman Gallery's current exhibit open now through Saturday, Feb. 13.

The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. The Crossman Gallery is located at 950 West Main Street, Whitewater, on the first floor of the Greenhill Center of the Arts building.

For more information on the Warhol gift or the Crossman Gallery, contact Flanagan at 262-472-5708 or flanagam@uww.edu.