About the Permanent Collection

Union College holds over 3,000 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 collections, please see the drop-down menu under “Permanent Collection” at the top of this page, or check out our newly created, searchable web portal. The portal currently displays only a limited selection from the Collection, but we are in the process of adding more artworks all the time!

Click here to browse the current online collection.

The Permanent Collection portal also includes an Interactive Map of Union College, displaying select Permanent Collection artworks installed on campus. Featured with each of these items is a written interpretation of the artworks provided by Mallory Schultz, Art Collections & Exhibitions Fellow, 2019/20. The Interactive Map will be regularly updated as we gain additional interpretations of Permanent Collection items from students, faculty, and staff, highlighting their unique perspectives as members of the Union College community.

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 mandevillegallery@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 mandevillegallery@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 mandevillegallery@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.