Adopt-a-Painting Program

The Conservation and Restoration Program

Wesleyan has established a program to conserve and restore our significant works of art, furniture, and precious objects. Our aim is to preserve their aesthetic and monetary value for the future of the College.

Conservancy is the top priority. The first order of business is to ensure the safety and stability of the entire collection. This includes improvements in storage and display areas and minor repairs to paintings, such as re-stretching and cleaning canvases. Restoration is also important and is a long-term effort. This covers more extensive repair work, such as remounting canvases and treating mold on paper.

Individuals and groups have contributed greatly to restoration projects, helping to preserve some of Georgia's most beautiful artwork. A series of exhibits mounted at the beginning of each spring semester in the Cowles Myles Collier East and West Galleries helps bring attention to our valuable collection and raises funds to continue the conservation and restoration of artwork.

 

Adopt-A-Painting

The Adopt-A-Painting program was created in 2002 to connect prospective donors who wanted to support the Wesleyan Treasures Collection with specific and tangible needs. Adopt-a-Painting allows appreciators of art and friends of the College an opportunity to contribute to the conservation of the collection by "adopting" a specific painting for restoration.

Initially, almost 150 paintings were examined through a comprehensive evaluation of the collection. A restoration expert provided estimates for repair ranging from $700.00 to $8,000.00, depending on the extent of the damage and the work involved in the restoration of each painting. For example, the Collier painting, On the Beach, suffered from large cracks and loss of paint in the center of the canvas. This painting was "adopted" and restoration has prevented further losses of the paint surface.

Seventy-five paintings have been adopted through Adopt-a-Painting, and to date, more than sixty paintings and frames have been restored. More than $275,000.00 has been raised since 2003 through this successful program. 

Current paintings from the Wesleyan collection available for adoption.

 

How to Make a Gift

Your tax deductible donation can be made in the form of a check payable to Wesleyan College and designated for Art Restoration or Adopt-A-Painting. Gifts of stock or other appreciated assets are also suitable for this purpose and offer special tax benefits. Please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (478) 757-5131 for additional information. Thank you for investing in the preservation of these special Wesleyan Treasures.

 



The Wesleyan Treasures Collection

Wesleyan's extensive collection of fine paintings, prints, furniture, and objects – donated by alumnae, foundations, and friends of the College – is among the most impressive in central Georgia. The collection includes three Kress Foundation gifts: Madonna and Child by the Late Renaissance Venetian painter Cima da Conegliano, and Adoration of the Magi and Adoration of the Shepherds by the Venetian Rococo painter Gaspare Diziani. Seascapes by Cowles Myles Collier form the core of a significant group of New England landscapes, recently enhanced through the gift of a pastoral painting by Hugh Bolton Jones.

The print collection is highlighted by a portrait of General George Custer by Andy Warhol and a series of colorful abstract cats by the revolutionary Dutch artist Karel Appel. Among the furniture and objects are two rare English Regency chairs, a Chinese Chippendale chest, and two Satsuma vases. While many individual works stand out for their beauty or expressive power, the value of Wesleyan's Treasures lies in the strength of the collection as a whole – one that has great aesthetic and educational importance to students, scholars, and art enthusiasts.

Calendar of Events

Wesleyan College is privileged to steward many arts and cultural events and share them with the community. Most are free and open to the public. Wesleyan art galleries are open M-F 1-5PM and on Wesleyan Market Saturdays from 10AM-2PM.

Event listing

Visit our Campus

Tour our beautiful 200-acre campus featuring Georgian architecture, lush green spaces, recreational facilities, residence halls, and worship center.

Vist Wesleyan Virtually

NCAA Division III Athletics

Wesleyan College is home to five NCAA Division III sports: soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. In addition, we offer an award-winning Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Equestrian program.

View More

Join our email list