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A native of San Antonio, John Parker’s fascination with artworks that challenge notions of what art is began in professor Bob Tiemann’s lectures at Trinity University in the 1970s. This early fascination became a lifelong passion for Parker and inspired him to become one of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art in Texas. Parker was a visionary collector who recognized emerging talent. He regularly acquired several works by an artist in whom he had a particularly strong interest. The first of two exhibitions to highlight his bequest, this exhibition features work by artists on whom he focused during his five decades as a dedicated collector.
Eye of a Collector: The John M. Parker Jr. Bequest is organized for the McNay Art Museum by Lyle W. Williams, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Curator of Modern Art.
Funding is most generously provided by the Elizabeth Huth Coates Charitable Foundation of 1992.
Image credit: John Baldessari, Rollercoaster, 1989. Photogravure with color aquatint. Collection of the McNay Art Museum, Bequest of John M. Parker Jr., 2023.32. © John Baldessari
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