Harn Museum receives major collection of Asian art, endowment

August 24, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dr. David A. Cofrin, one of the founding donors of the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida, has bequeathed 312 works of Asian art worth an estimated $4.2 million to the museum.

Cofrin, who died last year, also established a $1 million endowment for the acquisition of Asian art. The gifted works include jades, ceramics, metals such as cloisonné and bronze, glass, ivory and lacquers from China, Japan and Southeast Asia. The donation is particularly strong in Chinese jades, which predominantly date from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

Cofrin and his wife, Mary Ann, have a long history of leadership support to the Harn.

Prior to this bequest, the Cofrins donated $10 million toward the construction of the 26,000-square-foot David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing, a $20 million addition scheduled to open in 2012. They were also instrumental in funding the purchase of more than 150 works from China, India, Japan and Korea in the Harn’s Asian art collection, as well as acquisitions in the contemporary, modern, and photography collections. Their founding donation made the first museum building possible. With a match by the state of Florida and additional donor support, the $8.7 million building opened in 1990. An additional gift from the Cofrins was instrumental in a $4.9 million expansion in 2005.

“Dr. Cofrin was both a focused collector and an open-minded, inquisitive donor,” said Jason Steuber, Cofrin Curator of Asian Art at the Harn, whose own position was endowed by the benefactor. “I could present a Ming dynasty painting alongside a contemporary photograph and he saw the benefit of acquiring both for display at the Harn.”

“Dr. Cofrin’s generosity lives on as the Harn Museum continues to grow and exhibit acquisitions made possible by him in a building made possible by him,” said Rebecca Nagy, director of the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. “His legacy is his passion and determination to build an exceptional Asian art collection at the University of Florida to be shared through exhibitions, loans, scholarly publications, and teaching.”

The new works will be on display in the David A. Cofrin Asian Art Wing when it opens. The focus of the first exhibition presented in the Asian Wing’s main gallery will be objects given to the museum by the collectors and donors who have helped create one of the best collections of Asian art in the region.