BUFFALO, NY.- The University at Buffalo Art Galleries is presenting 25 for 25: Promised Gifts from the Gerald Mead Collection, an exhibition celebrating collector, educator, and independent curator Gerald C. Mead Jr.’s longstanding relationship with UB Art Galleries and his transformative promised gift of 25 works to mark their 25th anniversary.


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For nearly four decades, Mead has built an encyclopedic collection of works by artists associated with Western New York, carefully assembling over 1,900 pieces that reflect the region’s deep artistic history. This exhibition highlights 25 significant works from Mead’s collection that have been pledged as future gifts to UB Art Galleries, ensuring they will become a lasting resource for students, scholars, and the broader Buffalo community. Featured artists include Laylah Ali, Cory Arcangel, Charles Burchfield, Ellen Carey, Wendell Castle, Allan D’Arcangelo, Nancy Dwyer, Hollis Frampton, Robert Longo, Elizabeth Murray, Cindy Sherman, and Michael Zwack, among others.

Mead’s connection to UB Art Galleries is deeply personal. As an alumnus of UB’s MFA program and a former adjunct professor in the Department of Art, his engagement with the university spans more than 40 years. He has exhibited at UB Art Galleries as both an artist and curator, lent works to major exhibitions, and authored catalog essays for UB-organized shows. This donation builds upon that legacy and reflects Mead’s commitment to making his collection an ongoing resource for the university through future planned gifts.

“I am very pleased to honor the 25th anniversary of UB Art Galleries with this promised bequest gift of significant artworks from my collection. As an alumnus and former faculty of the University’s Art Department, it is important to me to know that some of my most treasured artworks will have a permanent purpose as an educational resource for the University and the public, thereby acknowledging and preserving the artistic heritage of nationally acclaimed artists with ties to this region,” Mead states.

UB Anderson Gallery, originally established as a research and storage facility for the Martha Jackson Gallery’s archives and collections, has grown into a vital center for the study and exhibition of modern and contemporary art. 25 for 25 underscores the gallery’s role in preserving and presenting works that highlight the artistic contributions of Western New York.



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