The art of collecting
Ulrich Museum founder reminisces about building WSU’s art collection as the museum celebrates 25 years
By Julie Rausch
 Courtesy photo Martin Bush, founder of the Ulrich Museum, says he was determined to have art at WSU that one could expect to see at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City or at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Bush, now living in Manhattan, N.Y., will return to WSU in May as the Ulrich Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary. |
Martin Bush, founder of WSU’s Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art, recalled an Australian art aficionado who visited Wichita State during the mid ’70s.
The visitor walked from one of the dozen or so sculptures to the next that Bush had amassed in the collection. "Oh, I see you have a copy of an Armitage," he said, as he walked by "Mouton Variation."
Bush didn’t say anything.
"Oh. And here’s a copy of Chadwick," he said of "Teddy Boy and Girl II."
"Um," Bush said.
When he came to Dame Barbara Hepworth’s "Figure (Archaean II)," he realized. "Oh my gosh, these aren’t copies, are they?" he exclaimed.
Today, the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection ranks among the top quality outdoor sculpture collections in the country.
In a recent interview from his Manhattan, N.Y., home, Bush said he took great pleasure in refuting the mindset that one could never find great works of art on a campus in Wichita, Kansas – and he didn’t have to argue that with words, for the art did it for him.
It didn’t matter as much to Bush which work of art was selected for WSU’s growing collection, as long as it was among the best art.
No imitations would do, and certainly no art from unknown artists.
He was determined to have art at WSU that one could expect to see at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City or at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
But it wasn’t easy getting great art on a minimal budget, which was supplemented with student fees from the Student Government Association.
It took a lot more than a small portion of student fees to build the collection Bush envisioned. Most of the money came from the generosity of many local arts patrons, as well as Bush’s many national and international personal connections.
Often described as savvy, suave and charming, Bush engaged people from the art world on an international basis, negotiated for works of art, and convinced notable art figures to hold exhibitions as well as personally visit the burgeoning museum, which opened Dec. 7, 1974.
Some like Henry Moore, who created "Reclining Figure (Hand)," personally came to explore a location for the sculpture. Other prestigious artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Isabel Bishop, Paul Rand, Duane Hanson, Eric Von Schmidt, Louise Nevelson, Gordon Parks and Alice Neel also visited WSU.
Nevelson, whose "Night Tree" is part of the sculpture collection, was particularly fun and charismatic, Bush said.
She visited WSU in 1978 while about 30 of her sculptures and graphics were shown next to another major show of 48 paintings by Joan Miró.
Nevelson stopped by a printmaking class and made a print with the students. Bush took her antique shopping in nearby Kechi, and she asked to go shopping at Sheplers.
"I think she was named one of the 10 best-dressed women in America, and she bought about 17 cowboy shirts at Sheplers."
One part of his job Bush didn’t enjoy was turning down the many requests from people soliciting their artwork.
One call in particular Bush was glad to take was from an old friend and art collector Saul Rosin, the fourth-largest textile manufacturer in the United States. Bush had never been successful in getting a gift for WSU from Rosin, but one day he called Bush out of the blue.
"Martin, want some art?" Rosin asked in a gruff voice. "My wife left me and we got all this art around here we’ve got to get rid of."
Rosin proceeded to give WSU six major works of art including William Zorach’s "Kneeling Figure" and "Innocence" and Hugo Robus’ "Invocation."
"I even got him to agree to pay for the shipping," Bush said.
Bush came to WSU in 1971, hired for a position created especially for him by President Clark Ahlberg to acquire resources and original works of art for the university. He had a similar position for six years at Syracuse University in New York, where he also earned his doctorate in history.
It was also where he’d already made some impressive connections, receiving gifts from 17 Pulitzer Prize winners including poets Marya Zaturenska and George Dillon, Dr. Benjamin Spock, newscaster Mike Wallace and artists Andrew Wyeth and Ben Shahn.
Bush knew artist Chaim Gross and was able to secure the outdoor collection’s first sculpture, "Happy Mother," for $6,500, the cost of the casting.
By 1973, in less than three years on the job, Bush had collected several sculptures for WSU including works by Artmitage, Chadwick, Hepworth, Charles Grafly, John Kearney, George Rickey and Earnest Trova.
Not all of the art was popular with students, Bush said. Ironically, one that is among Bush’s favorite, Rickey’s kinetic sculpture "Two Lines Oblique Down," created a stir among some students after it was installed.
Bush remembered looking up at the sculpture one day as it gracefully stretched across the blue Kansas sky. "God, that’s a beautiful piece," he thought. Just then a student approached and said, "What a pile of shit."
There were some hostile articles in the Sunflower about the Rickey, and one student suggested it belonged on the roof of the president’s residence.
Bush said he felt so pleased when he overheard a couple of custodians talking about how much they liked the sculpture.
One of the students’ favorite pieces, Bush said, was Kearney’s "Grandfather’s Horse," made of welded auto bumpers. Even so, some students couldn’t resist playful pranks, such as placing a bale of hay in front of it and putting some aluminum balls on the ground beneath the horse’s rear.
Bush said the purchase of a second Kearney piece, "Best of Bred," was one of his mistakes.
Bush said Kearney gave "Grandfather’s Horse" to WSU, and he thought it would be nice to give him a commission to make two Texas Longhorns to commemorate the Chisholm Trail.
"Texas Longhorns are thin, bony, half-starved, and Kearney made two fat cows," said Bush. "I’m still disappointed."
After Bush left WSU in 1989, he was president for ACA Gallery in New York City for several years.
He’s currently working on two books.
One is about art, which he has set aside to get more perspective. Bush has written extensively about modern American artists including Shahn, Ernest Trova, Robert Goodnough and Duane Hanson.
The other book, non-fiction and as yet untitled, looks at the Boston Braves in 1913-14. The book will chronicle the flavorful, surprising and scandalous behind-the-scenes machinations of a team that was in last place in July 18, 1914, and came back to win the championship beating the New York Giants. An avid baseball fan, Bush hopes to complete the book this year.
Bush secured thousands of gifts for WSU. However, he said, "The best gift Wichita gave to me is my wife Jennie," who will accompany him on his visit along with several family members.
