Contemporary Art Collection
The Contemporary Art Collection includes works of art by both emerging and established international artists. The Museum has actively purchased work by living artists over the past 50 years and contemporary art is one of the strengths of the collection. Many artists represented in this collection were leading artists at the time the museum acquired them. These include works by Philip Pearlstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and John Chamberlain. Others were prominent mid-career and emerging artists when the museum purchased their work and they have continued to earn significant recognition since. These include works by Kerry James Marshell, Jennifer Bartlett, and Nick Cave. Recent acquisitions of emerging artists have included works by Debora Roberts, Jared McGriff, and Robin Rhode.
The Contemporary Art Collection has grown due to early and continued interest by the Museum’s membership and the community at large. The Collection began with important early gifts from individuals that included paintings, photographs, and prints. In 1984, the Orlando Museum of Art’s Acquisition Trust was formed. This membership-based organization contributes annual dues to fund the acquisition of contemporary art.
