The Last 50 Years of Collecting Art for the Permanent Collection

The Last 50 Years of Collecting Art for the Permanent Collection 

We experience the world through our senses—what we see, touch, and feel. Artists use different methods to create art that helps us see things in new ways. At the Ullberg Gallery, you’ll find artwork that explores colors, shapes, and familiar images. Some of these pieces are part of art styles like Minimalism, Color Field, and Pop Art. For example, Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987) created Cow (1971), a bright and bold screen print that repeats an image, showing how art can be made using printing techniques to create multiple copies.

Harvey Quaytman (American, 1937-2002) made Untitled (Roadrunner) in 1972. This artwork is an acrylic painting on canvas, but it also has a curved wooden piece that creates an interesting open space. The paint has a thick texture, forming a crust along the edges. Modern artists like Quaytman experiment with materials to create new effects, and in this piece, the sky-blue color and unusual shape make us think about space and form in different ways. The cut-out part even allows the gallery wall to become part of the art.

Rosalyn Engleman (American, b. 1938) and Lia Halloran (American, b. 1977) are artists from different generations. However, they both explore ideas of time, memory, and how science connects to human experiences.

Joseph Havel (American, b. 1954) was a teacher at the Glassell School at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His sculpture Silk II (2000) looks like real silk, but it’s actually made of bronze! He used the lost wax casting method, where real silk cloth is dipped in wax, which hardens and is later replaced by metal. The finished piece has soft folds and floating textures that make it look like fabric.

These artworks encourage us to think about what they are made of and how they were created. But they also make us ask deeper questions—why did the artist make this piece? What do we see and feel when we look at it? Art helps us explore new ideas and better understand the world around us.