Bucksbaum Gift Generates Nearly $300,000 for Art for Access Scholarships
Art for Access, Bennington College’s innovative fundraising program that enhances the College’s art holdings for teaching and enrichment while generating scholarship support through the sale of art, raised nearly $300,000 for student scholarships in Spring 2021.
This support came from the sale of select works of art from a gift of Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan ’91, who serves on the Bennington College board of trustees and is co-chair of the Art for Access Committee. Over the past three years, Mary has donated more than 600 works of art from the collection of her mother, noted art patron and curator Melva Bucksbaum (1933-2015). While more than 350 works from this incredible gift remain on campus, on June 2 the College held a single sale auction, A Contemporary Vision: Works from the Collection of Melva Bucksbaum, in partnership with STAIR in Hudson, NY.
“We are grateful to all those who purchased works through this special sale of Melva Bucksbaum’s incredible collection and in turn supported Bennington’s talented students and our commitment to access,” said Paige Bartels, senior advisor and director of Art for Access.
Currently, a few lots remain for sale. For a list of the works that are still available for purchase to benefit scholarships, please email artforaccess@bennington.edu. Detailed images of the remaining works can be found on the auction catalogue on the STAIR website.
Since the launch of Art for Access in 2018, the College has received gifts of more than 620 works of art and has raised $3.7 million through art sales to fund Art for Access scholarships.