CHAPEL HILL. NC.- The Ackland Art Museum announced the exhibition Color Triumphant: Modern Art from the Collection of Julian and Josie Robertson, on view from September 19, 2025 through January 4, 2026.

The story of modern art can be told as a series of moments in the liberation of color, from the atmospheric vividness of Impressionism through the subjective intensity of Expressionism to the autonomy of abstraction. Encompassing fifty-four works by thirty-three artists from the distinguished collection of Julian and Josie Robertson, Color Triumphant showcases outstanding works from that trajectory. It includes paintings, sculpture, and works on paper by artists from Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro to Gerhard Richter and Frank Stella.

Born in Salisbury, North Carolina, Julian H. Robertson, Jr. (1932-2022) graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1955 and went on to become one of the most successful global fund managers of his time. Widely recognized as a pioneer in the hedge fund industry, he is best known for his impressive track record of performance and his legacy for mentoring dozens of other successful leaders in the space. Together with his wife Josephine (Josie) Tucker Robertson (1943-2010), he began collecting in the late 1980s and generously lent works to the Ackland for three special installations between 2015 and 2019. In 2000, he established the Robertson Scholars Leadership Program, connecting UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University.

"The Ackland is especially honored to share works from this extraordinary collection with all members of our community. These stunning works of art beautifully complement the Ackland's collection and will inspire visitors to look closely and consider the significance of color in the trajectory of modern art," said Shalini Le Gall, the Ackland's new director.

"The Ackland has a distinguished tradition of presenting art from private collections, but our engagement with the Robertson Collection is truly a special opportunity," said Peter Nisbet, deputy director for curatorial affairs. " Julian Robertson was one of the University’s most distinguished and philanthropic alumni, who, with his wife Josie, built an amazing collection of modern art, focused largely on expressive and vibrant color. We are thrilled to present a large part of the collection in this exhibition. Color Triumphant brings together works now in the Robertson Foundation, works in the Robertson family collections, works donated by the Foundation to the Ackland, and a major loan from the North Carolina Museum of Art to create a marvelous exhibition that will surely be the catalyst for joy and curiosity across all of our audiences."

Following the presentation of Color Triumphant, which closes on January 4, the Ackland will present Color Concentrated: A Salon-Style Hang from the Robertson Collection, on view from January 30-May 17, 2026. This version of the exhibition presents works from the Foundation and family holdings in a single gallery.

While Color Triumphant takes a relatively conventional museum approach to installation and layout — with works shown in rough chronological order, generously spaced on one level, and identified with traditional interpretive labels — Color Concentrated will take the opposite approach. The paintings will be shown stacked and condensed onto just one wall with the sculptures grouped in front. The effect will be an immersive wall of vivid and powerful color, highlighting in a very different way the Robertson Collection’s deep commitment to the expressive potential of hue.

Color Concentrated will evoke the salon-style display characteristic of nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century art exhibitions. It will also be reminiscent of the private collector’s practice of hanging multiple rows of paintings together and the intriguing chance juxtapositions of paintings on storage screens in the art museum’s vaults. Visitors will be able to experience many of the works up close, as present-day museumgoers usually do, as well as visualizing a nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century spectator's experience.