May 17, 1998

North Carolina Wesleyan College's Outsider Art Auctioned

Rocky Mount, NC - North Carolina Wesleyan College sold approximately 282 objects from its Lynch Collection of Outsider Art for approximately $97,700.00, reported North Carolina Wesleyan 's president, Dr. John B. White. "I am satisfied with the sale and the work of Robert S. Brunk Auction Services. The additional resources that the College has acquired through deaccession of a portion of the Lynch Collection reflects what the market for such art will yield at this time. The proceeds from the sale will contribute toward the completion of the Thomas J. Pearsall, Jr. Building and its Gallery where the finest and most representative pieces of the College's collection will be displayed for our students and for the people of eastern North Carolina."

In January of 1998, the North Carolina Wesleyan Board of Trustees authorized the sale of pieces selected by the College's art curator of its Robert Lynch Collection of Outsider Art, and designated that the proceeds would be used to complete the Thomas J. Pearsall, Jr. Building and its Gallery, then under construction. The new Gallery places on permanent display over 130 art objects, the best and most representative from the Lynch Collection, as well as examples from the College's Pre-Colombian Collection.

The Thomas J. Pearsall, Jr. Building and the Gallery will be opened officially and dedicated during the Founders' Day Celebrations scheduled for October 22, 1998. The Thomas J. Pearsall, Jr. Building will house the College's state-of-the-art admissions offices and the Gallery. Prospective students, guests and visitors to the campus will have a chance to enjoy the College's permanent art collections through the extended visiting hours made possible by having the Gallery as the focal point of the recruitment facility.

Dr. White indicated that North Carolina Wesleyan's decision to sell a portion of the Lynch Collection was driven by direction set in The Strategic Plan: A New Wesleyan for a New Century. The Plan calls for the College to focus all resources upon learning, institutional growth, and the support and training of faculty and staff members. Further, White said, "Wesleyan is not primarily a cultural repository as may be the role of larger research institutions. By retaining a portion of the Lynch collection and permanently displaying it in the new Gallery, the College is making the best use of its resources."

North Carolina Wesleyan is a private, four-year liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The College offers bachelor's degrees in 22 majors to traditional students. The College also has extensive adult degree programs for working adults, with classes on the Rocky Mount campus, and at additional teaching sites in Raleigh and Goldsboro.

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