photograph by Meg Eastman
Exhibition
Nov 03, 2022
throughApr 21, 2023

Swan Song: Celebrating the Permanent Collection

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Swan Song: Celebrating the Permanent Collection is now on view in the Harnett Museum of Art at the University of Richmond. The new exhibition, curated by retiring Executive Director Richard Waller, will be open through April 21, 2023. Waller’s final exhibition honors his legacy of 32 years of service to University Museums.

Waller became the first full-time director of University of Richmond Museums in 1990, and his goals were to expand the galleries, develop an important permanent collection, and promote dynamic programming.

“Richard has more than succeeded — he has exceeded — in achieving those goals during his 32 years of leadership,” said Elizabeth Schlatter, interim executive director.

As a member of the faculty of the Department of Art and Art History, Waller taught courses in color and design, digital artmaking, contemporary art, and museum studies.

During his tenure, Waller oversaw the building and expansion of the museums, brought more than 400 exhibitions to campus, many of which he curated, and worked diligently to bring thousands of artworks and objects into the museums’ permanent collections.
About the Exhibition

Swan Song features more than 70 artworks from the collection and presents objects acquired over the past 32 years under Waller’s direction.

Highlights include:

  • Prints by Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973), Henri de Toulouse Lautrec (French, 1864-1901), and Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987).
  • Notable pieces of Rockingham and other art pottery featuring a range of styles, glazes, and materials.
  • A selection of prints from the English artist William Hogarth (1697-1764) and numerous contemporary prints from the Center Street Studio Archives in Milton, Massachusetts, including the print Martin Luther King, Jr. by American artist John Wilson (1922-2015).

Organized by the University of Richmond Museums, the exhibition was curated by Richard Waller, retiring Executive Director, University Museums, with Sophie McClellan, ’23, art history and leadership studies major, 2022 Harnett Summer Research Fellow, and 2022-2023 Curatorial Assistant, University Museum. This exhibition is made possible in part with funds from the Louis S. Booth Arts Fund.

Swan Song

Swan Song: Celebrating the Permanent Collection