2026 Winter Seasonal Newsletter from the O’Brien Art Foundation

Dear Friends and Colleagues,rnrnWe are delighted to welcome you to our Winter Newsletter and share our latest happenings. This is a special update offering a snapshot of the work we do to acquire new works by the undersung names of American art history. With this letter, we are thrilled to share u003cstrongu003enews of our 2025 acquisitionsu003c/strongu003e.rnrnOver the past year, the Foundation added more than u003cstrongu003e140 works by 91 artistsu003c/strongu003e, spanning a wide range of media. From this larger body of work, we are pleased to share our annual list of twelve u003ca href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/acquisition-highlights/u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eAcquisition Highlightsu003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e, offering just a glimpse of the works collected this year. In addition to this list, we celebrate the recently acquired touchstone assemblage from 1979 by pioneering New York-based artist u003cstrongu003eBonnie Lucasu003c/strongu003e in our u003ca href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/featured-artworks/u0022u003eu003cstrongu003eFeatured Artworksu003c/strongu003eu003c/au003e. We are also grateful for generous donations of important works of art this year from u003cstrongu003eCarlau003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003eBeckeru003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003ePamela Hyde Smithu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eDavid Martin andu003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003eDominic Zambitou003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eBeau Ottu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eDale Robertsu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eThe Colescott Familyu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eChris Waltheru003c/strongu003e, and the u003cstrongu003eTheodore Lyman Wright Art Center at Beloit Collegeu003c/strongu003e.rnrnThe Foundation’s collaborations continue to extend beyond the collection’s immediate home in Pittsburgh. To this end, we round out this letter with a glimpse at our work with our rigorous colleagues at u003cstrongu003eChelsea Restoration Associatesu003c/strongu003e and u003cstrongu003eGill u0026amp; Lagodichu003c/strongu003e in New York, as we honor the original presentation of each object through restoration and period framing, respectively.rnrnYours,rnrnu003cstrongu003eMarty O’Brienu003c/strongu003ernrnFounder, Board President u0026amp; Treasurer

u003ch3u003eAcquisition Highlightsu003c/h3u003e

We are honored to share with you our annual u003cstrongu003e12 selected highlightsu003c/strongu003e of the many exciting works that entered our collection this past year. Only a fraction of our new holdings, this grouping aims to provide a snapshot of the breadth and depth of the work we do.rnrnThe majority of our 2025 acquisitions date from the u003cstrongu003e1930su003c/strongu003e through the u003cstrongu003e1980su003c/strongu003e, reinforcing our emphasis on the mid-century period and its many regional expressions. Printmaking continues to be a particularly active area of our collecting, accounting for more than half of all new acquisitions. This concentration reflects the medium’s central role in 20th century American art as a site of technical innovation and collaboration. New paintings and three-dimensional works further expand the material scope of the collection, including practices that question established hierarchies between design and fine art, commercial production and craft.rnrnYou can find the complete list of artists represented in our holdings on our website’s u003ca href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/collection/#artistsu0022u003eu003cstrongu003eCollectionsu003c/strongu003e u003c/au003epage, annotated to indicate new additions in 2025. For inquiries about specific artists or works, please reach out via email to u003ca href=u0022mailto:info@obrienartfoundation.orgu0022u003einfo@obrienartfoundation.orgu003c/au003e.rnrnu003ca class=u0022wp-block-button__link wp-element-buttonu0022 href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/acquisition-highlights/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022u003eView our 2025 Acquisition Highlightsu003c/au003e

u003ch3u003eFeatured Artworku003c/h3u003ernOver the course of nearly five decades, u003cstrongu003eBonnie Lucasu003c/strongu003e (b. 1950) has developed a prolific body of work grounded in a devotion to craft materials and a sharp critique of the gender norms reinforced by consumer culture and art historical hierarchies. From beaded works to quasi-figurative collages and sculptural paintings, her practice treats mass-produced hobby materials—fabric remnants, plastic charms, and found undergarments—as carriers of cultural instruction.rnrnu003ca class=u0022wp-block-button__link wp-element-buttonu0022 href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/featured-artwork/bonnie-lucas/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eLearn Moreu003c/au003e

u003ch3u003eExhibitionsu003c/h3u003ernu003cemu003eCitizen Artistu003cstrongu003e u003c/strongu003e u003c/emu003e|  u003cstrongu003eDelaware Art Museumu003c/strongu003e | April 11–July 19, 2026rnrnWe are thrilled to lend multiple works from the collection to the upcoming exhibition,rnrnu003cemu003eCitizen Artistu003c/emu003e, which will be on view at the Delaware Art Museum from April 11–July 19, 2026. This include works by u003cstrongu003eGeorge Biddleu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eCharles Biedermanu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eClarence Holbrooku003c/strongu003e u003cstrongu003eCarteru003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eSydney Glen Fossumu003c/strongu003e, u003cstrongu003eDale Nicholsu003c/strongu003e, and u003cstrongu003eStuyvesant Van Veenu003c/strongu003e.rnrnFrom the museum’s description:rnrnu003cemu003eCitizen Artistu003c/emu003e will meet a moment of national reflection with a celebration of artist workers in America. Beginning in 1933, artists painted, photographed, wrote, acted, and taught for New Deal programs including the Public Works of Art Project, the Works Progress Administration, Farm Security Administration, and the Treasury Section on Fine Arts. […] The exhibition brings artworks from the interconnected eras of the New Deal and Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) together, alongside original commissions that document, amplify and imagine new possibilities for artists’ roles today.rnrnThis exhibition is supported by Delaware 250. This organization is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

u003ch3u003eTravelogueu003c/h3u003ernu003cstrongu003eConservation and Framingu003c/strongu003ernrnHonoring an artwork’s original presentation is central to the Foundation’s approach to caring for our works. Alongside conservation treatments that support the long-term stability of materials, we prioritize frames that reflect an object’s historical context. We have been traveling to New York for over twenty years to work with Chelsea Restoration Associates and Gill u0026amp; Lagodich.rnrnThe majority of our works are framed in original period frames. Others are shown in meticulously researched reproductions, which require meaningful decisions that help preserve the work itself and the conditions under which it was meant to be seen. For years, we have been making dedicated visits to New York to work closely with two trusted conservators and framers. It takes a team to achieve our mission.rnrnu003cstrongu003eChelsea Restoration Associatesu003c/strongu003e, based in the Bronx, is responsible for our painting conservation. It’s owned and operated by u003cstrongu003eJohn Powellu003c/strongu003e and u003cstrongu003eAmy Sokoloffu003c/strongu003e, who met at Tyler School of Art, including a formative year at its Rome campus, and went on to apprentice at—and later co-manage—a respected Upper East Side restoration studio for a decade before opening their own business.rnrnu003cstrongu003eGill u0026amp; Lagodichu003c/strongu003e, based in Manhattan, has been our primary framer for our paintings and works on paper collections. Co-founded and owned in Tribeca in 1991 by u003cstrongu003eTracy Gillu003c/strongu003e and u003cstrongu003eSimeon Lagodichu003c/strongu003e, leading experts on historical American Frames, work with us to restore each work’s existing, original frame or provide authentic period frames when necessary. Nearly our entire collection is displayed in authentic period frames.

u003cimg src=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Obrien-Art-Foundation-Blue.svgu0022 /u003ernrnThe O’Brien Art Project Foundation (DBA O’Brien Art Foundation) is a charitable organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation is located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. We are dedicated to the preservation, understanding, and appreciation of American Art beyond the accepted canon.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://us13.campaign-archive.com/?u=a472b375a0960cd50608ca7d9u0026id=fefb91e752u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eView the original newsletteru003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://obrienartfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-2-Winter-Seasonal-Newsletter-from-the-OBrien-Art-Foundation-SM.pdfu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eView as PDFu003c/au003e