A serious accident prevented a Canadian artist from exhibiting his works at Windgate Art & Design when that building opened to the public in September 2015, but this year he has made up for that in a big way.
Bratsa Bonifacho said he felt terrible about letting the University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith鈥檚 art department down.
鈥淚 was feeling worse and worse about what happened and decided to bail myself out and do something good for the new gallery,鈥� he wrote in an email recently.
He donated eight of what he described as his 鈥渇avorite paintings鈥� and even picked up the cost of shipping for a total donation valued at about $117,000.
Bonifacho said the paintings were in his private collection and are part of his Habitat Pixel series. He chose to present eight works because he wanted his gift to have an impact.
鈥淲hen I decide to donate to an institution I really hate to give just one or two pieces that don鈥檛 say much about the artist, his work, or what he wants to say. I鈥檇 rather give something concrete, valuable and impressive.鈥�
He added that he hoped his gift would encourage others to make similar gifts.
Don Lee, associate professor of art and director of the Windgate gallery, described the gift as 鈥済enerous beyond words.鈥�
鈥淭he addition of this work to the AV抖阴 permanent collection of art is most important in terms of growing the collection for the purpose of education, art and culture,鈥� Lee said.
The artist鈥檚 approach to art as to 鈥渧isual communication鈥� reflects the curriculum of the AV抖阴 art department. 鈥淏onifacho鈥檚 form and content, the result of professional studio practice, is inspirational, relevant and meaningful to art students in the foundation courses, graphic design and studio art majors,鈥� Lee said.
The paintings contribute to the university鈥檚 mission and goal, he said.
The Bonifacho works hang in the Nadine and Bob Miller Pre-Function Gallery. They were first exhibited publicly at opening reception for the Aethiopia Awakening exhibit on Sept. 19.
Bonifacho was born in Belgrade, in what was Yugoslavia.
AV抖阴 the AV抖阴
The University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Small class sizes, dedicated faculty and staff, affordable tuition rates, and a diverse on-campus culture allow AV抖阴 students to fully explore their areas of interest in ways that prepare them for post-graduate success academically, professionally, and personally.