the art OF GIVING
The Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia has received several transformative gifts over the course of its existence.
T HE FIRST WAS IN 1945, when Alfred Heber Holbrook donated 100 American paintings to establish the museum, many of which are still on display in its permanent collection galleries. In 2012, Larry and Brenda Thompson mirrored Holbrook’s gift, donating 100 works of art by African American artists and funding an endowment to support a curatorial position to study those artists. Major gifts of Russian art and an endowment to fund another curatorial position dedicated to that work have likewise expanded our focus. The most recent gift in this series came at the end of 2019, when John and Sara Shlesinger of Atlanta donated 110 works of contemporary art to the museum, a gift that, like the others before them, will fundamentally transform how the museum operates. John and Sara came from different backgrounds, but they shared a passion for art. John says that, early on, Sara appre- ciated their growing collection from an aesthetic perspective, while he was more interested in the financial side of the art market, but he soon became fascinated by learning how dif- ferent works of art are made. He also credits her with devel- oping his sense of philanthropy. John and Sara Shlesinger of Atlanta donated 110 works of contemporary art to the museum, a gift that, like the others before them, will fundamentally transform how the museum operates. The Shlesingers began thinking about donating a sizable portion of their collection as they contemplated downsizing. They didn’t want to sell the art into which they had poured so much effort and time, partially because they wanted people to see it. Selling it would have meant it was more likely to end up in private collections. They thought deeply about the kind of institution where their collection could add value, and the Georgia Muse- um of Art seemed like a clear choice, given that its permanent collection is historically less strong in contemporary art. They also wanted a museum close to Atlanta so that they and their children could continue to be involved, and they wanted it to be
Sara Shlesinger
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