The expanding permanent collection of art at the University of North Florida was enriched in quantity and quality by the generous gift of over ninety paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, and ceramic vessels from the collection of Mary Ann and J. Shepard Bryan, Jr. of Atlantic Beach, Florida.
The Bryans have long been pillars of the art community for over four decades. They have been honored by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville and their generosity continues to benefit the Art Ventures fund as part of the Community Foundation. Their philanthropy has been extensive and their support of UNF includes gifts to MOCA Jacksonville, OneJax, the Department of Art & Design, and the UNF Fine Arts Center.
Mrs. Bryan is an accomplished artist in her own right. She graduated with a B.A. from Wellesley in 1950. She has painted throughout her life and her subjects range from portraiture, abstraction, landscapes and still-lifes, particularly lush pastels of flowers. We are especially delighted to receive a double portrait by Mrs. Bryan titled He and She from 1975 in which the artist depicts her husband and herself.
Mr. Bryan enjoyed a distinguished career as a young naval officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and then as General Counsel for the Winn Dixie company followed by work for the prestigious Holland and Knight law firm.
Although not all of the artists represented here worked in Florida, many have ties to the state and its institutions of higher learning. Internationally acclaimed Hiram Williams (1917-2003) and Jerry Uelsmann (b. 1934) were Professors at UF, and both were elected to the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Their colleague at UF, Ken Kerslake (1930-2007) was instrumental in the growth of printmaking in the southeast after WWII. Harrison Covington (b. 1924) and Mernet Larsen (b. 1940) were associated with the University of South Florida, and Steve Lotz (1940) was instrumental in the founding of the visual arts programs at the University of Central Florida.
Potter Charlie Brown (1904-1987) and Memphis Wood (1902-1989), who worked in a wide range of media, were early pioneers of Jacksonville’s arts community. Joseph Jeffers “Jerry” Dodge was director of the Cummer Gallery of Art from 1962 to 1972 and contributed enormously to the city’s cultural growth through his exhibitions, writings and lectures. Doris Leeper (1929-2000) founded the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 1982. These are but a few examples of the fascinating artists represented here in an impressive variety of techniques and styles.
On behalf of the UNF Department of Art and Design, and its students and faculty, we wish to express our deep appreciation to Mary Ann and Shep Bryan for this magnificent gift!
