Art patron, philanthropist and Michigan State University alumnus Eli Broad and his wife, Edythe, have donated 18 works by artists including Jonathan Borofksy, Terry Winters and Sue Williams to the Broad Art Museum at MSU. This new gift is in addition to “Containment 1” by Roxy Paine, the signature work for the museum’s sculpture garden, also donated by the Broads.
Opening Nov.10, the Broad MSU is dedicated to exploring global contemporary culture and ideas through art. The museum will serve as both an educational resource for the campus community and a cultural hub for the central Michigan region. With a collection containing 7,500 objects from the Greek and Roman periods through the Renaissance and on to the Modern, the Broad MSU is uniquely able to contextualize the wide range of contemporary art practices within a firm historical context.
“This extraordinary gift helps us fill a significant gap in our collection of contemporary art, specifically '80s and '90s paintings. Key works by Sue Williams, Peter Halley, Donald Baechler, Ross Bleckner and a host of others will greatly enhance our ability to demonstrate the progression of contemporary painting in America,” said director Michael Rush. “We are so incredibly grateful to Eli and Edythe Broad for their unflagging commitment to this museum.”
Longtime supporters of the university, Eli and Edythe Broad provided the lead gift of $26 million in 2007 for the Zaha Hadid-designed museum, which was named in their honor. They subsequently increased their contribution to more than $28 million, of which $21 million is designated for design and construction and $7 million for acquisitions, exhibitions and operations.
”Edye and I are delighted to share works from our foundation and personal collections with this stunning new museum that serves the students and community of East Lansing and beyond,” said Broad. “Through our arts philanthropy, we have always been driven to make great works of art accessible to a broad public.”
Paine’s “Containment 1,” part of the artist’s Dendroid series of life-size stainless steel trees, will be displayed in the outdoor sculpture garden located on the east side of the museum.
The Broad donation also includes the following 18 paintings, works on paper and other media:
- Donald Baechler: “Andre's Flower #5,” 1993; “The Red Apron,” 1991; “The Red Hat,” 1991
- Ross Bleckner: “Invisible Heaven,” 1991; “Map By Heart,” 1996
- Jonathan Borofsky: “Chattering Man with 9 Framed Drawings,” 1986; “The Moon in My Mind at 2,998,773,” 1986
- Peter Halley: “Cell with Smoke Stack and Conduit,” 1990; “Cinder Block Prison,” 1990; Untitled (Stacked Rock), 1990
- Jonathan Lasker: “Rhetorical Remembrance,” 1985
- Robert Longo: “America on Wheels,” 1991; “Heads will Roll,” 1984-85; “Sketch for Heads will Roll,” 1984
- Elizabeth Murray: “Toes Two,” 1994
- Sue Williams: “Golden Valley Stream,” 2000; “Hand and Foot, Blue, Red, Green with Pink and Yellow-Green,” 1997
- Terry Winters: “Asphaltum,” 1986