Written 7/12/07

Story by Julie Haas

Museum gallery to be named for Oppenheimers

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — At their meeting July 12, the Johnson County Community College board of trustees agreed to name the largest of three designated temporary exhibition galleries in the college’s new Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art for Tony and Marti Oppenheimer, Kansas City philanthropists. The 2,500-square-foot gallery, which will be known as the H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer Gallery, will be used for major changing exhibitions.

With their most recent pledge, JCCC will have received more than $2,100,000 since 1993 from the Oppenheimers and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation to build a collection of contemporary art – known as the Oppenheimer collection – and to support visual art on the JCCC campus. Much of the collection will be exhibited in the permanent collection galleries of the Nerman Museum, opening this fall on the college campus.

As announced in February 2004, a smaller new media gallery on the second floor the Nerman Museum, which will display cutting-edge new media art, will also be named for the Oppenheimers.

Well-known patrons of contemporary art, the Oppenheimers have previously donated to JCCC seven major contemporary sculptures that are installed throughout the campus, as well as Jeremy Blake’s seminal DVD projection, Winchester. To date, the Oppenheimer collection numbers more than 90 works by international, national and regional artists and encompasses all media.

 “Our partnership with Bruce Hartman and the college, to acquire works from both established and emerging artists, has been exciting and enlightening,” the Oppenheimers said. “Our friendship with these exceptional artists has added a wonderful dimension to our lives.

“JCCC and the Nerman Museum are giving students and the region a fantastic center for learning about contemporary art and artists. We are so proud to share our passion for art and also contribute to Kansas City’s astonishing visual arts scene.”

“Last year, Public Art Review magazine named JCCC as one of the top 10 university/college campuses for public art in America,” said Bruce Hartman, museum director. “Marti and Tony have played a leading role in bringing that honor to the campus and our community.”

Tony and Marti Oppenheimer are also patrons of the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, and both serve on the Collection Committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Marti Oppenheimer is president of Marti Designs, a jewelry design firm, and was recently named one of Kansas City’s 50 most influential women. Tony Oppenheimer is a managing director at The Private Bank and president of the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation.