For nearly four decades, art collector, educator, and independent curator Gerald Mead has been amassing a collection of over 1900 works of art that relate to Western New York artists (by birth or residency). As a way to celebrate University at Buffalo Art Galleries’ 25th anniversary, Mead is donating 25 significant works of art from notable artists that include Laylah Ali, Cory Arcangel, Charles Burchfield, Hollis Frampton, Robert Longo, Robert Mangold, Ad Reinhardt, Susan Rothenberg, Cindy Sherman, and Paul Sharits, to UB Art Galleries. Working alongside director Robert Scalise and his art committee, this collection of “future gifts,” titled “25 for 25: Promised Gifts from the Gerald Mead Collection,” is still on display at the UB Anderson Gallery through July 26.
^ (L-R) Robert Longo, Nancy Dwyer, Cindy Sherman
“I am very pleased to honor the 25th anniversary of UB Art Galleries with this promised bequest gift of significant artworks from my collection,” stated Mead, who is an alumnus of UB’s MFA program and a former adjunct professor in the Department of Art – his engagement with the university spans more than 40 years. “As an alumnus and former faculty of the University’s Art Department, it is important to me to know that some of my most treasured artworks will have a permanent purpose as an educational resource for the University and the public, thereby acknowledging and preserving the artistic heritage of nationally acclaimed artists with ties to this region.”
Lead image: Collector Gerald Mead with painting by UB alumnus David Mann | Photo Credit: Douglas Levere