PHOTOS OF ARTWORK COURTESY OF CARNEGIE MUSUEM OF ART

Pittsburgh philanthropists and art collectors Milton and Sheila Fine are making good on their promise. 

In 2015, the couple agreed to gift more than 100 works from their own collection of contemporary paintings, sculpture and photography to the Carnegie Museum of Art. 

Eight years later, the landmark Milton and Sheila Fine Collection will be on display for the first time from Nov. 18 through March 17 at the museum in Oakland. 

The exhibition offers an unparalleled view into the history of American and German art from the 1980s to the 2000s, including some of the most significant works of the 20th and 21st century. It is curated by Eric Crosby, Henry J. Heinz II Director of Carnegie Museum of Art and vice president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

Among the notable artists, all of whom previously exhibited at Carnegie Museum of Art and in the Carnegie International, are Mark Bradford, Christopher Wool and Rosmarie Trockel.

For decades, the Fines advocated and supported the Pittsburgh region’s arts. From 1992 to 2000, Milton Fine served as chair of the Board of Carnegie Museum of Art, where he played a pivotal role in revitalizing the Carnegie International, North America’s longest-running exhibition of contemporary art. 

The Fines also provided significant support to the museum with the creation of the Fine Prize in 2008; the award is granted to an emerging artist included in each edition of the Carnegie International.

A long-running trustee of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Milton Fine died in 2019 at age 92. The Milton and Sheila Fine Collection is a celebration and remembrance of his life. 

“Experiencing art and building our collection together was a throughline in our relationship,” Sheila Fine says in a press release. “When Milton and I saw an exhibition, we’d always end up falling in love with the same artwork. I think it was symbiotic because we were together so much looking at art, which was a truly special part of our partnership.

“[Milton] always wanted to share the collection with others, and by gifting it to Carnegie Museum of Art, my hope is that others fall in love with the artworks like we did when we first saw them.”

The trajectory of the Fines’ collection was heavily influenced by the Carnegie International. The couple actively collected alongside the flagship exhibition series, with museum leadership and the exhibition’s curators shaping the development of the couple’s personal interests and acquisitions. 

Each gallery of their collection highlights moments that set artworks into varying genre-defining relationships. Visitors will be able to enjoy emblematic works in photography, moments of growth in the Fines’ collection during the 1980s, paintings and sculptures that range from abstract to minimalist forms, a collector’s salon and significant contemporary artworks.

“The collection is deeply rooted in the museum’s history and acts as a living archive of past Carnegie Internationals, offering visitors a primer on some of the greatest contemporary artists of the last half-century,” Crosby says in a statement. “The Fines’ generosity has allowed the museum to take a key step towards achieving its ambition — to enrich the Pittsburgh region’s artistic life through the evolution and elevation of our collection.”

A publication offering expanded access will be available online and in the museum’s bookstore. To learn more about The Milton and Sheila Fine Collection, related events and programs, visit here.