ExhibitionRecent Acquisitions 2023

Museums add artwork to their collection in various ways, primarily through purchases made by the institution or gifts donated by private individuals. Displayed here is a selection of the artwork that has entered the Chazen’s collection recently. Each acquisition is put through a rigorous vetting process by curatorial staff and is approved by the museum’s accessions committee, which is composed of University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty, Chazen Museum of Art council members, and members of the community. All purchases are funded by private individuals and endowments, rather than the museum’s annual budget or through state funding.

This small selection reflects the diversity of artwork that has been added to the collection in recent years. Once an artwork joins the museum’s collection, staff act as stewards, making sure that artworks are well preserved and accessible for viewing by appointment in the Chazen’s study rooms, through the museum’s online database, and in gallery installations and temporary exhibitions like this one.

This iteration of the Chazen’s Recent Acquisitions exhibition highlights donors and artists with connections to the University of Wisconsin–Madison in celebration of the University’s 175th anniversary.

Above: Dale Chihuly (American, b. 1941), Korallrot Basket Group, 1979, blown glass, Walter J. and Cecille Hunt Endowment Fund purchase, 2022.32.1a-f

In the Leslie and Johanna Garfield Gallery