November 27, 1997 | Read Time: 1 minute
Mitchell Wolfson, Jr., an international investor with major holdings in Miami and Genoa, Italy, has donated his private collection of artwork worth approximately $60-million to Florida International University in Miami. At the same time, The Wolfsonian, a non-profit research and exhibition center founded by Mr. Wolfson in 1986, was merged into the university. Taken together, the full transfer is worth between $75-million and $100-million.
Mr. Wolfson, 58, has has built one of the world’s largest private collections of decorative arts. The collection includes furniture, industrial-design objects, and rare books spanning the years from 1885 to 1945.
The university intends to draw on the collection not only to advance academic research on the objects themselves but also to inform students in programs unrelated to art.
For example, students in the School of Hospitality Management who seek inspiration for restaurant designs might examine the collection’s china, silverware, and chairs. Also included in the transfer is a seven-story Mediterranean-style building, a former warehouse that was converted into an exhibition, conservation, and research facility.
To pay for the university’s expenses in running the new art center, the Florida Legislature has voted to provide at least $2-million per year. The university plans to raise additional funds to expand educational activities and public exhibitions.
