$7,500 toward the acquisition of the 1965 painting Waterloo, for the museum’s permanent collection, overseen by museum curator Alicia Longwell. Bluhm served as a pilot during World War II, after which he abandoned his studies of architecture to pursue painting in both Paris and New York. Bluhm created gestural abstractions that evolved into symmetrically composed paintings with volumous shapes and colors, referencing internal caverns and organs of the body.

$10,000 toward acquiring an early 1960s painting by the artist for the museum’s permanent collection, overseen by museum curator David Acton. Bluhm served as a pilot during World War II, after which he abandoned his studies of architecture to pursue painting in both Paris and New York. Inspired by the work of the New York School, Bluhm created abstract paintings which evolved into work that, symetrically composed with volumous shapes and colors, references internal caverns and organs of the body.

$15,000 to help acquire an early painting by the artist for the museum’s permanent collection. Bluhm served as a pilot during World War II, afterwhich he abandoned his studies of architecture to pursue painting in both Paris and New York. An active member of the second generation abstract expressionist group, Bluhm also created work that, symetrically composed with volumous shapes of pinks and reds, references interior aspects of the body.