UC Davis Magazine

Wayne Thiebaud Shares His Gift

Artist Wayne Thiebaud's works are found in the collections of the world's most prestigious galleries and museums, including New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, Washington, D.C.'s National Gallery and San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art. Now the number of Thiebaud's works in the collection at UC Davis has increased, thanks to this longtime UC Davis professor's recent gift to the Richard L. Nelson Gallery & The Fine Arts Collection.

The pieces--31 works on paper--will be exhibited at the Nelson Gallery Sept. 24­Oct. 25. They are the latest of several gifts of art, his own work and that of others, made to the collection over the years by Thiebaud and his family. The pieces richly enlarge the collection's current holdings of Thiebaud paintings and works on paper, and uniquely amplify the collection's ability to represent the breadth of Thiebaud's artistic vision, style, working manner and methods of personal inquiry, according to Price Amerson, director of the gallery and collection.

"I LOVE LOOKING AT THE WORK OF OTHER PAINTERS AND LOOKING AT HOW THEY GO ABOUT THEIR WORK. IF THESE THINGS GIVE THAT KIND OF ACCESS TO OTHERS, THAT WOULD BE A PLEASURE."

--WAYNE THIEBAUD

Many of the works, he said, emerged from his decades of teaching at UC Davis, a place that has "always meant a lot to me." Some of the pieces were actually done at UC Davis as classroom demonstrations.

Thiebaud joined the UC Davis faculty in 1960 and, although he retired as a professor emeritus in 1991, he continues to teach students on campus. His teaching talents and contributions, together with his artistic achievements, were recognized in 1988 with the UC Davis Prize for Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, which carried a $25,000 award. He was honored nationally in 1994 with a National Medal of Arts for his lifetime achievements and contributions to the nation's culture.

"With this gift," said UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef, "Wayne once again reveals where his heart lies--with students seeking expression of their own artistic voices and with this university, which has been so blessed by his presence. We are truly grateful for his generosity and that of his family."

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Artworks: Steep Street, 1993, color etching and aquatint, pastel, color pencil and collage on paper, handworked proof, 29 5Ž8 x 21 5Ž8" (image); and Breakfast, 1994, color etching, color pencil and collage on paper, handworked proof, 17 1Ž2 x 23 3Ž4" (image). The works are from the Richard L. Nelson & The Fine Arts Collection, University of California, Davis. Gifts of the family of the artist.


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