Freedman Gallery, Albright College: What happens when a college sells its art collection?

By Alexa Donovan

The Freedman Gallery (established nearly 50 years ago) at Albright College (founded in 1856 and located in Reading, Pennsylvania) was like many other campus museums and art spaces. Named after alumnae, Doris C. Freedman (Class of 1950),^[1] it was a gathering place for the artistically-minded at Albright, “presenting exhibitions ‘of consistent high quality,’” focusing primarily on contemporary artists.^[2]

Freedman was the first director of New York’s Cultural Affairs and was the first director of New York’s Public Art Fund, in addition to other impressive accolades.^[3] The collection was built primarily through the generosity of Freedman (1928–1981), in addition to another major donor, New York gallerist and alumnus Alex J. Rosenberg (1919 - 2021).^[4]

Every year, there was an exhibition highlighting student artists, and over the summer, local children and visitors had the opportunity to learn at the museum.^[5] Perhaps most noteworthy of all were the names that the permanent collection boasted: Louise Nevelson, Frank Stella,^[6] Romare Bearden, Salvador Dalí, Alexander Calder.^[7] The list goes on.