061708_AndyWarholtrue1334586686108acckfpHofstra University, University Relations, Media, Press Release, Public Relations, Museum, Andy Warhol, Beth Levinthalhe Hofstra University Museum will receive an unprecedented gift of Andy Warhol art from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts./Hofstra_Main_Site/Home/News/PressReleases/Archive/061708_AndyWarholprplac1213715206931prplac1213715603040Press Release Sub TitleCollection Includes Polaroid Photographs and Gelatin Silver PrintsPress Release TitleHofstra University Museum Receives Unprecedented Gift of Andy Warhol ArtPress Release Date2008/06/17Lindsey CalabreseUniversity RelationsHofstra Hall516-463-4687516-463-5146Lindsey.Calabrese@hofstra.eduUniversity Relations//Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra University Museum will receive an unprecedented gift of Andy Warhol art from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The gift, made through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program is in honor of the foundation’s 20th anniversary. The Museum will take ownership of its gift of 103 Polacolor prints and 50 Black and White Gelatin Silver Prints valued at $150,300 at the beginning of July.  

The Hofstra University Museum is one of 183 college and university art museums that will receive some of the 28,543 original Warhol photographs valued in excess of $28 million. Each institution is slated to receive approximately 150 original Polaroid photographs and gelatin silver prints selected by Jenny Moore, curator of the Photographic Legacy Program.

“A wealth of information about Warhol’s process and his interactions with his sitters is revealed in these images,” noted Ms. Moore. “Through his rigorous – though almost unconscious – consistency in shooting, the true idiosyncrasies of his subjects were revealed. Often, he would shoot a person or event with both cameras, cropping one in Polaroid color as a “photograph” and snapping the other in black and white as a “picture”. By presenting both kinds of images side by side, the Photographic Legacy Program allows viewers to move back and forth between moments of Warhol’s “art,” “work,” and “life” – inseparable parts of a fascinating whole.”

According to The Andy Warhol Foundation President Joel Wachs, the aim of the Photographic Legacy Program is to provide greater access to Warhol’s artwork and process, and to enable a wide range of people from communities across the country to view and study this important yet relatively unknown body of Warhol’s work. The program offers institutions that do not have the means to acquire works by Warhol the opportunity to bring a significant number of photographs into their permanent collections.

Commenting on behalf of the University and the Hofstra University Museum, Director, Beth E. Levinthal stated, “We are honored to have qualified to receive this significant gift of Andy Warhol’s photography.  This gift not only will enrich the prestige of the Museum’s growing photography collection, but will also provide numerous opportunities for students, scholars, and the public to explore closely Warhol’s facility in this medium.”  

The Hofstra University Museum has been awarded the highest honor a museum can receive, continued accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM). Approximately 5% of museums nationwide have earned this distinguished recognition. Accreditation certifies that the Hofstra University Museum operates according to professional standards, manages its collections responsibly and provides quality service to the public.

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from more than 145 undergraduate and 155 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business, communication, education and allied human services, and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

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