Growing the Addison:
Recent Acquisitions

The Addison opened in 1931 with a collection of about five hundred exceptional objects assembled by Thomas Cochran and his friends. The collection now exceeds 14,000 objects, all acquired through purchase or gift. Visitors often ask how the gallery expands its holdings, a good, though complex question. In this exhibition, Brian Allen, the Mary Stripp & R. Crosby Kemper Director, explores the topic using a selection of recently acquired works.

Since 1931 the art market, the nature of collecting by individuals and museums, and art making itself have evolved considerably, as has the Addison. In this context, taste, luck, generosity, money, and an entrepreneurial spirit have each molded the collection in surprising ways.

This exhibition has been generously funded by the Mollie Bennett Lupe & Garland M. Lasater Exhibitions Fund.