Robert P. Hubbard's Gift Is a Welcoming Symbol for Keene State College
KEENE, N.H. 10/23/08 - The Singer, a sculpture by David Aronson, was recently installed in front of the Redfern Arts Center at Keene State College. The bronze sculpture, which greets all who come to the Redfern for classes, concerts, and theatre and dance performances, is one of 56 works of art that Robert P. Hubbard has given to the College.
Hubbard, who came to know Keene State while visiting two grandnieces who attended the College, has been collecting art for more than 40 years. The Hubbard collection includes paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture by a variety of artists such as Elaine De Kooning, Albert Hirschfeld, William Hogarth, Francisco de Goya, N. C. Wyeth, and sculptor David Aronson.
“The Singer is a welcoming symbol for all who visit the Redfern Arts Center,” said KSC President Helen Giles-Gee. “Robert Hubbard’s generous gift will enhance the cultural experience of the campus and Keene communities and provide educational opportunities in the visual arts for our staff and students.”
Donor Robert Hubbard lives in Walpole, New Hampshire, and taught preparatory school English for many years. He has been a generous donor to educational, conservation, historical, and other local agencies. Sculptor David Aronson, who created The Singer, has lived and worked in the Boston area for nearly 60 years. His work is represented in more than 40 museums and he has exhibited in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and Copenhagen.
According to Maureen Ahern, director of the Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery, the Hubbard collection offers a variety of styles and artists, and many images can be placed in historical context. “There is a wonderful colored lithograph by Alfred Howland, an American artist born in 1838, of a Fourth of July parade in Walpole, New Hampshire,” she said. “There is also an etching by Leroy Neiman, an American artist born in 1921, of P. J. Clarke’s saloon, where many famous celebrities hung out in the 1960s. It was the setting for the movie The Lost Weekend.”
A selection of works from the Hubbard gift will be exhibited at the Thorne- Sagendorph Art Gallery, opening January 24, 2009. For more information, call 603-358-2720.
