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Recent Acquisitions Releases Press Release Archive )
Souls in Purgatory The Laura and Dan Boeckman Collection of Mexican and Latin American Folk Art |
Past, Present, Future TMA Receives Largest Single Gift In Its History With Mexican Folk Art From The Boeckman Collection Tyler, TX—"Can we keep it?" was a frequent question among the Tyler Museum of Art staff when the Laura and Dan Boeckman Collection of Mexican and Latin American Folk Art first moved into the North Gallery in April. The answer? An emphatic "Yes." Dan and Laura Boeckman, the Dallas-area patrons of the arts who count the Museum Tower in the city's downtown arts district among their projects, have made the commitment to endow the TMA with the vast majority of the Latin American folk art collection that bears their name. The gift to TMA will encompass most of the pieces already in place for the Past/Present/Future: Folk Art of Mexico exhibition, as well as the bulk of the Boeckman's contemporary collection of Hispanic art in the "big initial chunk," Boeckman said. Other gifts will follow on a semi-annual basis — and the lion's share of one of the nation's premier showcases of modern and contemporary Latin American art will become a part of the TMA's permanent collection. "I was speechless when Dan said he wanted our museum to be his collection's permanent home," TMA Director Kimberley Bush Tomio said. "The generosity of this gift is simply overwhelming." Once the gift is fulfilled in its entirety, it will represent the largest single donation by one source in the Museum's history, Mrs. Tomio said. With the Boeckman endowment, the TMA's permanent collection will include more than 1,000 works of art – hastening the Museum's need for a facility large enough to accommodate its vast holdings. "We have an outstanding facility in our current building, but the Museum has grown so unbelievably fast that we simply no longer have enough space to foster that growth the way we should – and must continue to do," TMA Director Kimberley Tomio said. "This donation by Dan and Laura is not only a wonderful gift – one that any museum would be absolutely ecstatic to have – but its enormous size and scope helps us more clearly illustrate the need for a new facility as soon as possible." Though the need for expansion is imperative, Mrs. Tomio said, the TMA staff, board of directors and patrons are grateful to have a solid foundation in the Museum's current home on the Tyler Junior College campus. "We feel the comfort of knowing we can stay in this building until 2019, when the Museum's current lease will expire" she said, "and that we can take the necessary time to design and build the first-class facility we all want when we're ready to move into a new home." Several factors weighed in the Boeckmans' decision to donate the bulk of their collection to the TMA, not the least of which was the couple's hope that the artwork they have accumulated would help foster an appreciation of the fine arts among the Hispanic community. "That Tyler does have such a large and vibrant Hispanic community appealed to me immensely," Boeckman said. "What Laura and I have hoped all along is that the pieces in this collection would provide a window into a culture, and have people leave the gallery thinking about its vibrancy. These pieces reflect a way of life and expression that in some ways is disappearing, and there needs to be a document of it." Price Arredondo, director of Hispanic Business Services for the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, sees the Boeckman Collection — as an exhibition and a permanent part of the Museum's collection — as a cultural watershed for East Texas, particularly for youth in the region. "This lays the groundwork for the Hispanic community to not only be aware of the Museum if they aren't already, but to get them excited about the arts and take an active role in helping to keep the city moving forward as a cultural center," Arredondo said. "That's what this is really all about – especially for the young people. This is a great way to start getting them involved." Boeckman said his gift is dependent upon the TMA's commitment to move into a larger building to be erected on the land purchased by the Museum near the University of Texas at Tyler campus. An additional motivation for choosing the TMA as his collection's new home, he said, is his longtime association with the senior architect of Booziotis and Company, a Dallas-based firm the Museum has engaged as the principal designer of its new facility. "Bill Booziotis, who is designing the new museum, is someone I respect highly – I love his work," Boeckman said. "I knew I needed a home for the collection, and I knew he would design it a lovely home. Plus, I wanted to keep the collection in Texas – and Tyler is the ideal location. It's nearby, it's a thriving community for the arts, and I have been very impressed with Kim Tomio and what she's been doing there." The Tyler Museum of Art is located at 1300 S. Mahon Ave., at the corner of Apache Pass, adjacent to the Tyler Junior College campus off East Fifth Street. Regular hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. The Museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays. For more information, call 903-595-1001. |