Art by Joan Danziger. Image courtesy of Susquehanna Art Museum.
By design, the Susquehanna Art Museum is a non-collecting institution, meaning that its galleries feature rotating exhibitions throughout the year.
Yet one of the current exhibits, “From Mantel to Museum: The Eclectic Legacy of Patricia L. Murray,” is an exception to that rule. It features the rare collection of art that is actually held by SAM.
Importantly, the exhibit also emphasizes the connection between art collectors, the museums they donate to and the communities they serve.
During her lifetime, Murray was one of the founders of SAM, a donor to the institution, an educator and a private art collector. In 2023, parts of her collection were donated to the museum posthumously, highlighting her dedication to the museum before, during and after its creation.
Those works are now on display through early April.
As the exhibit title indicates, Murray was an “eclectic” collector, said Alice Anne Schwab, SAM’s executive director. Her collection represents a varied mix of artistic styles, forms and thematic content among numerous local and regional artists, including F. L. Wall, Joan Danziger, Leon Berkowitz, Douglas Zucco, Theo Tobiasse and Ellen Siddons.
Prior to her involvement with the museum, Murray was a gallery owner in Wellsville, Pa. Under the tutelage of art expert Clyde McGeary, she began making trips to Philadelphia and New York City, where she visited various galleries. Through these encounters, Murray not only formed a bond with the owners but learned how the galleries operated.
Importantly, Schwab emphasized that the exhibit demonstrates the cross-beneficial relationship between collectors, museums, artists and the communities they serve.
In addition to helping found SAM, Murray made considerable financial contributions to the museum from 1988 to her death in 2005. When a lack of steady funds hampered SAM’s growth, Murray was one of the museum’s most consistent and generous donors, according to exhibit curator Alex Gabriel. And, in keeping with her family’s wishes, a Patricia L. Murray gallery has been added to the museum.
Murray also helped launch the VanGo! Museum on Wheels, a renovated RV that, to this day, brings the museum experience to students and other community members, especially in rural areas. Over the years, it has reached thousands of people with its onboard museum gallery, hands-on activities and other educational pursuits.
“The exhibit invites viewers to recognize Murray as an overtly positive force in the history of SAM and the greater Harrisburg art world,” Gabriel said.
“From Mantel to Museum: The Eclectic Legacy of Patricia L. Murray” runs through April 7 at the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.susquehannaartmusum.org.
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