July 1 – September 1, 2013
Robert Louis Thompson, Shepherding, 1965. Oil on canvas. Collection of DePaul Art Museum, gift of Samuel and Blanche Koffler, 2012.118
June Leaf, Untitled, 1980. Color lithograph on paper. Collection of DePaul Art Museum, gift of Samuel and Blanche Koffler, 2012.121
Irving Petlin, Head, 1975. Oil on board. Collection of DePaul Art Museum, gift of Samuel and Blanche Koffler, 2012.116
DePaul Art Museum’s collection of works by Chicago artists was significantly enriched in 2012 by a generous gift of 95 paintings, prints, and sculptures from the estate of Blanche Koffler. Blanche and her husband, Samuel Koffler, were prescient art collectors. In the 1950s, they recognized that while Chicago art was often different from the styles prevailing in New York, it deserved attention and support. By establishing a foundation to purchase works from local artists, they not only helped artists make a living, but they also made a persuasive argument for the appreciation of regional art.