The Coe College Permanent Collection of Art consists of approximately 465 works by nearly 300 artists spanning several centuries and five continents. It is remarkably diverse in both scope and media. Holdings range from a delicate 12th century leaf from a French "Book of Genesis" to two Toulouse-Lautrec lithographs; from seven Grant Wood murals to an early small oil by Mark Rothko; from Marvin Cone's River Farm to an 18th- century French tapestry.

Among other notable artists included in the collection are: Karel Appel, Milton Avery, Leonard Baskin, Thomas Hart Benton, Ronald Bladen, Raoul Dufy, Mauricio Lasansky, Artiside Maillol, Henri Matisse, Conger Metcalf, Thomas Nast, Francis Picabia, and Pablo Picasso. Most of these works came from individual benefactors, foundations, or as class gifts. Some were purchased by the College at various times in its history.

Purpose

The College's Permanent Collection of Art serves three distinct and important purposes. The main function is to provide inspiration and teaching examples for Coe students, with a collection that offers significant stylistic diversity and variety of media. The collection is also a community resource, making available to our community important works by both local and internationally known artists. It serves as a reminder of the important place of the visual arts in the history of Cedar Rapids and in our general cultural heritage.

Finally, the College's Permanent Collection functions as an appropriate repository for important works by those artists whose lives and careers were influenced by their association with Cedar Rapids in general and with Coe College in particular.

Grant Wood, Detail from Boy Milking Cow, 45.5"h. x 39.5", 1932

Back to the Main Page

Back to the Art Department Page