Institutional News

Art for Access Benefit Auction to be held on June 1

Second selection of works will be sold from the collection of Melva Bucksbaum 

Image of geometric colors

Based on the success of its 2021 benefit auction, Bennington College and Stair will again partner to offer a sale of 120 works drawn from the private collection of the late Melva Bucksbaum (1933-2015), noted art collector, patron, and curator, to benefit Art for Access. 

A Contemporary Vision: Works from the Melva Bucksbaum Collection, Part II, will be offered in an online auction on Wednesday, June 1 beginning at 11am. 

The sale supports Art for Access, a fundraising initiative that celebrates Bennington College’s pioneering visual arts legacy by providing funding for scholarships through the sale of artworks.  

Works to be sold are by well-known, emerging, and mid-career artists in a wide range of styles, media, and price-points. Highlights include work by Donald Judd, Robert Mapplethorpe, Duncan Hannah, Sarah Anne Johnson, Valery Koshlyakov, Dwayne Moser, Chen Quingqing, Andrew Sendor, Xiaojin Wang, Holly Coulis, Tom Friedman, Bryan Hunt, Jeff Koons Dianna Molzan, John Newman, and Alexis Rockman. 

The artworks were donated by Melva Bucksbaum’s daughter, Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan. An alumna from the class of 1991, Mary serves on the Bennington College board of trustees and co-chairs the Art for Access Committee. Mary has donated more than 500 works of art from her mother’s collection to benefit Art for Access

Stair, a leading regional auction house in the Northeast, will host a special preview reception of the 120 lots included in the sale on Friday, May 20, at its gallery space in Hudson, New York. 

All proceeds from the auction will fund Art for Access scholarships

For more information on the sale visit A Contemporary Vision: Works from the Melva Bucksbaum Collection, Part II. Visit How to Bid on the Stair website for instructions on registering to bid during the auction. 

About Art for Access

Launched in 2018, Art for Access is an innovative philanthropic initiative that celebrates the College’s pioneering legacy in the visual arts while advancing its commitment to equity, diversity, and access. Art for Access seeks to engage Bennington’s network of collectors, artists, alumni, parents, and friends by inviting donations of art to the College to benefit students by:

  • Developing and expanding the works of art in the College’s holdings, ensuring that works available for study are ever changing; and 
  • Generating scholarship funds, through the sale of select works on a regular basis, to further the College’s commitment to access, equity, and diversity.

Since the launch of Art for Access, the College has received gifts of more than 700 works of art and raised nearly $3.7 million through art sales to fund Art for Access scholarships.