Selections from the Schilling-Knapton Collection of Art

Bernie Schilling’s love for fine art began during his childhood, first admiring the art displayed in the homes of his parents and grandparents, and the works he saw on early visits to museums. At age 17, he purchased his first piece of art – a limited edition lithograph by British artist Henry Moore – thus setting into motion a lifetime of collecting and creating art.

Schilling followed his Moore lithograph with additional purchases of artists including Will Barnet, Robert Goodnough, Andre Marchand, Alfred Stieglitz and Jamie Wyeth, providing a glimpse of what would become a massive and diverse collection of art. Schilling, an established photographer, and his partner Drew Knapton have amassed a collection that would rival that of many small museums. The SAMA exhibition, which numbers more than 190 works, represents approximately 10% of the pair’s collection.

More than 150 artists are represented in the exhibition, including works by Norman Ackroyd, Jim Bird, Sir Peter Blake, Alexander Calder, Gene Davis, Sir Antony Gormley, Aaronel deRoy Gruber, Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, Maggie Milono, Robert Morris, Yoko Ono, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol, among others. The exhibition provides a wide sampling of contemporary abstract art, Op-Art and Pop-Art.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website