Philbrook Museum and OU Receive Adkins Art Collection

Written by Kurt Golightly Thursday, 09 June 2011 21:13

TULSA, OK - Ted M. Riseling, Chairman of the Adkins foundation Board, announced today that the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma have been jointly selected to receive the Eugene B. Adkins collection of art. The joint partnership by Philbrook and OU was among many proposals submitted by leading museums across the country. The Adkins Collection, valued at approximately $50 million, is among the most important private collections in the nation of works by the Taos artists as well as Native American works of art.

The collection includes more than 3,300 objects in a number of categories, including 1,100 two-dimensional works, 370 pieces of pottery, over 1,600 examples of jewelry and silverwork, and nearly 250 pieces of other Native arts.

In making the announcement, Riseling said, "The Adkins Foundation Board is extremely pleased with the proposal from The University of Oklahoma and Philbrook Museum of Art. We are looking forward to working with both institutions to provide a home for this magnificent collection and are excited about the educational opportunities the proposal provides. We feel very fortunate to share this collection with the people of Oklahoma and the many visitors who will be able to enjoy Mr. Adkins generosity."

"The Eugene Adkins Collection further solidifies the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at OU as one of the leading university art museums in the entire nation," Boren said. "It also means the university's museum will have a collection of work done by the master artists of the Taos art colony which is unexcelled by any art museum in the country."

Mr. Suffolk stated, "Philbrook will establish the Adkins Collection and Study Center to focus on the exhibition and study of Native American art and artifacts, using the Eugene B. Adkins collection and Philbrook's own exceptional Native American collection as organizational cornerstones."

"For Tulsa, the Center's presence means that the cultural life of our community is directly enhanced. It means our residents will have further access to outstanding examples of artistic achievement. As a hallmark of Philbrook's commitment to education and outreach, its presence means our children will be inspired to expand their understanding of artistic creation; to gain new appreciation for other cultures; and to acquire new perspectives on our nation's history. And, it represents a mission-driven opportunity to lend momentum to our city's revitalization efforts."

 The Adkins Collection contains more than 400 paintings by such distinguished American artists as Maynard Dixon, Worthington Whittridge, Andrew Dasburg, Alfred Jacob Miller, Victor Higgins, Charles M. Russell, Nicolai Fechin, John Marin, William R. Leigh, Leon Gaspard and Joseph H. Sharp. The collection also includes impressive examples of Native American painting, pottery and jewelry by such famed Native American artists as Jerome Tiger, Maria Martinez, and Charles Loloma.

Few Oklahoma families have deeper roots in Oklahoma than the family of Eugene Brady Adkins. His father, Eugene Sloan Adkins, born in Chouteau, owned and ran the Adkins Hay & Feed Co., which he established in 1917 in Muskogee. His mother, Bess Brady Adkins, was a member of the pioneer Tulsa Brady family. His grandfather, W. Tate Brady, who came to Indian Territory at age 17, was one of Oklahoma's most prominent early-day citizens - a developer, entrepreneur and civic leader in Tulsa. Tate Brady opened a mercantile store on Main Street in 1890, and in 1900, built the famous Brady Hotel, Tulsa's original first-class hotel.