Fisher Fine Arts Library’s Arthur Ross Gallery has a new exhibition that celebrates one couple’s lifelong passion for art. On view for the public for the very first time, Shared Vision: The Myron A. and Anne Jaffe Portenar Collection displays 63 of the 800 prints, paintings, sculptures, photographs, and works on paper donated to Penn in 2013. The collection was accumulated over 40 years by Dr. and Mrs. Portenar, the latter an alumna of the university. Anne Portenar’s passion and vision focused on 20th-century masters, thus each piece in the exhibit was chosen specifically for its significance within that time period.
An example of this methodical selection is Staurt Davis’s Study for Egg Beater No. 3. Painted in 1927, the piece has been credited a critical source to the study of early 20th-century abstraction. Co-curator and University Arts Collections Manager Heather Gibson Moqtaderi even mentioned that its purchase was one of the proudest accomplishments for the Portenars. Other famous artists in the collection include Joan Miro, Robert Rauschenberg, Susan Rothenberg, Alfred Stieglitz, and Walker Evans.
In addition to its impressive feats in the world of collecting, Shared Vision serves as an integral resource and product of art education at Penn. The construction of the exhibit took a little over a year and involved extensive research conducted by two undergraduate interns. In March of 2013, Elizabeth Kobert (C’14) and Joshua Herren (C’13) began the task of verifying the origins of all 800 pieces in the collection and cataloging them. They later contributed research for the exhibition labels and recorded clips for the audio tour. Penn students will continue to play an active role in Shared Vision throughout the school year, leading tours of the exhibit as docents and studying the collection in various art history classes.
The grand opening of Shared Vision, complete with live musical performances, will take place on September 12th. The exhibit will stay in the Arthur Ross Gallery through October 12th.
