PULLMAN, Wash. — A record 1,800 people viewed the exhibit, “The Athletes Series, 1979,” from the private collection of Richard Weisman during its recent five-day show at Washington State University’s Museum of Art, said museum officials.
“Having the Warhol works is one thing. He’s one of the most important artists of the 20th century,” said Chris Bruce, director of the WSU Museum of Art. “But having Richard here brings the human element to art history and opens our audience to the art world in ways few people could.”
Weisman discussed collecting and his friendship of Warhol with a capacity crowd at the Fine Arts Center Auditorium on Oct. 22. There was standing room only as Bruce and Weisman chatted with attendees about pop art, Andy Warhol and how to get started as an art collector. The next day Weisman wowed a group of 75 people at an Art á la Carte session in the Compton Union Building.
The exhibit included 10 Warhol-painted portraits of some of the most influential sports stars of their day, including boxer Muhammad Ali, football’s O.J. Simpson, ice skater Dorothy Hamill, basketball’s Kareem Abdul-Jabar, golfer Jack Nicklaus, ice hockey’s Rod Gilbert, tennis’ Chris Evert, horse racer Willie Shoemaker, baseball’s Tom Seaver and soccer’s Pelé. There also were four of Warhol’s famous “Campbell’s Soup” prints from 1968 included in the exhibition and a self portrait from 1967, courtesy of Spokane collector Derald Long.
Funding for the museum exhibitions and programs for the fiscal year is provided by WSU, the Friends of the Museum of Art, WSU Foundation, Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Arts Endowment, Richard Weisman, VPLAC, the Museum of Art/WSU Director’s Fund for Excellence and private donors. More information about the WSU Museum of Art can be obtained from its Web site at www.wsu.edu/artmuse.
