It’s not every day that big corporations just give away the costly, high-class art they own. But in the case of Safeco, giving back to the community along with protecting the heritage of its paintings and sculptures goes hand in hand.
Safeco, a national insurance agency owned by Liberty Mutual, donated $3.5 million worth of fine art from its private collection to a nonprofit art consortium in Washington state, where the company is based.
Among the 800 pieces of art are works from globally-renowned artists, including Fay Jones, George Tsutakawa and Jacob Lawrence, all of whom reign from the northwest U.S.
Safeco is proud to put its artwork in the hands of the nonprofit, the Washington Art Consortium, by putting the pieces in museums all over Washington.
"The Washington Art Consortium is our perfect partner, and we look forward to watching the collection come to life in museums across our state," said Safeco president Michael Hughes. "Safeco has a rich legacy in art investment expanding more than 30 years, so it was important to find a donation partner that could preserve the collection in such a way that would honor the rich history of the Northwest and its art."
The Washington Art Consortium claims to be the first group of its type in the country: an educational cooperative that engages in a partnership with seven art institutions to secure photos, paintings on paper and other works by distinguished artists of the last century. The partnership aims to encourage an appreciation for art among the public.
In Washington’s neighbor to the south, Oregon, Bank of America was also giving back to the community through art last month by offering a $600,000 corporate donation to the Portland Art Museum, and also planned a permanent endowment, to allow children and teenagers to visit for free.