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Through two generous gifts of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the de Saisset Museum houses in its permanent collection original photographs and screenprints by Andy Warhol, several of which are own view this fall.

How did these gifts come to us? In 2007, The Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program was created to celebrate the Foundation's 20th Anniversary. As part of this initiative, more than 28,500 photographs by Warhol were donated to educational institutions across the United States, and the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University was one of the receiving institutions.

In 2008, the Legacy Program gifted 157 original Polaroid photographs to the de Saisset Museum. These photographs include several of Warhol’s famous subjects: Wayne Gretzky and Princess Caroline of Monaco, to name two, who would later become subjects in Warhol’s silkscreens and paintings. The Polaroids afford a unique insight into his artmaking process and his personal interest, if not obsession, with chronicling life’s events. You can learn more about this gift and see images of several of the Polaroids in the Collections Section of our website.

And what about the screenprints? After the completion of the Photographic Legacy Program, the Board of Directors of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts voted to make additional gifts to all institutions that were recipients of the photographic works. As a result, in 2013, the de Saisset Museum received six silkscreens into our permanent collection: Grace Kelly (1984), Frederick Weisman (1984), Truck (1985), Sitting Bull (1986), Camouflage (1987), and Hans Christian Andersen (1987).

Currently, all screenprints except for Frederick Weisman (1984) are on view within the museum. Grace Kelly (1984), Truck (1985), Sitting Bull (1986), and Camouflage (1987) are part of what we like to call “PC Encounters” (or Permanent Collection Encounters). Not formal exhibitions, PC Encounters enable us to share more of our permanent collection with visitors through short-term temporary displays in different areas of the museum. The piece Hans Christian Andersen (1987) is on view in Gallery I as part of the fall exhibition (Re)Writing the Narrative.

These pieces are only on view through December 1, 2017 so don’t miss this opportunity to see five original Warhols up close!

Make sure to check our website for hours before visiting -- We are closed Mondays and will be closed Thursday, November 23 through Monday, November 27 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.