About the Permanent Collection

Union College holds over 3,200 works of art and material culture in the Permanent Collection, including significant cultural resources from internationally recognized artists and objects from Eastern and ancient cultures.

As a cultural resource at Union College, the mission of the Permanent Collection is to enhance the cultural life and the academic programs of the College community. Selections of the Collection are on view campus-wide. Our collection development focuses on acquiring artworks selected with established curricula in mind, to provide students and faculty opportunities to expand their knowledge through interdisciplinary connections, and to further efforts to create an inclusive visual presence on campus to reflect our community and values. Professors may request to use artworks for course instruction, either via class presentations for in-depth examination and discussion, or in conjunction with our online collection.

Our strongest holdings are: Works on Paper, 19th Century Portraits, Asian Collections and Antique Scientific Instruments including the Olivier Models. For more of the Collection, please see the drop-down menu under “Permanent Collection” at the top of this page, or check out our newly created, searchable digital database on ARCHES. This resource has only been recently developed, and we will be working on refining it in the coming months.

Click here or visit https://arches.union.edu/PermanentCollection to browse the Permanent Collection online.

J.W. Hill, Erie Canal, 1831, watercolor on board, Union College Permanent Collection, P1995.74 UCPC
Ezra Ames, Alexander Hamilton, ca. 1810, oil on canvas, gift of General Alexander Hamilton III, Union College Permanent Collection, 1875.1 UCPC
Robert Havell, Jr., View of Sing Sing, 1856, oil on canvas, gift of Bartlett Arkell, Union College Permanent Collection, 1944.3 UCPC
Chryssa Vardea, After the Sculpture Neon Bird, ca. 1980, ed. 6/100, screenprint on paper, gift of Dr. Ira S. Jaffrey, Union College Permanent Collection, 1983.2.16 UCPC
Jean-Francois Millet, La Grande Bergère, 1862, etching on laid paper, Union College Permanent Collection
Walter Hatke, The Gate’s Garment, 2005, ed. 3/19, giclée print, gift of the artist, Union College Permanent Collection, 2005.11.2 UCPC, © Walter Hatke
Roy Lichtenstein, Mirror #7, from Mirror Series, 1976, ed. 64/80, lithograph and screenprint, gift of Arnold I. and Felice Burns, Union College Permanent Collection, © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
Michael Wolgemut, Untitled (folio CCLVI), 1493, hand-colored woodcut on paper, Union College Permanent Collection
Shanti Grumbine, Forever, 2014, de-acidified New York Times newspaper, jade glue, Union College Permanent Collection, 2015.2 UCPC, © Shanti Grumbine
Ken Price, Green Turtle Cup, from Interior Series, 1971, ed. 26/75, lithograph, gift of Arnold I. and Felice Burns, Union College Permanent Collection, © Ken Price Estate

Teach with the Permanent Collection:

Professors may request to use artworks for course instruction, either via class presentations for in-depth examination and discussion, or in conjunction with our Online Collection. Please visit the Library Instruction page and Faculty Support page on the Schaffer Library website, or email us directly at ucpc@union.edu for more information. Click here to view past online course instruction pages.

Access to the Permanent Collection:

Access to the Permanent Collection is permitted by prior appointment, and the availability of artworks for examination by Union faculty and students or those conducting research will be based upon the size, condition and current location of the item. Please complete our Request to Access the Permanent Collection form and mail it to the Mandeville Gallery at Union College or email it to ucpc@union.edu. To view and print the form, click here.

Rights and Reproduction:

Please complete our Application for Reproduction Permission form to obtain reproduction rights. Please note that not all items are available. It may take up to 4 weeks to process your request. The Collection does not accept credit cards. Click here to view and print the form. Please mail the completed form to the Mandeville Gallery at Union College or email it to ucpc@union.edu.

Donations:

For information about our Donation Policy and the process of offering prospective donations of artworks or items of material culture to the Permanent Collection, please click here.

Adopt an Artwork Program:

A way for our supporters to participate in the stewardship process of the College’s unique cultural treasures. Click here for more information.