Located on the lower level of Buley Library, the Buley Art Gallery houses Southern Connecticut State University’s permanent collection of art, which includes significant African and Pre-Columbian works, prints, and drawings dating back to 1493, as well as modern and contemporary art.
One of the most significant contemporary pieces is a large-scale triptych by Zilia Sánchez, a pioneering Cuban-born artist renowned for her three-dimensional abstract work. Born in Havana in 1926, Sánchez’s artistic journey spanned over seven decades. She lived and worked in various cultural hubs, including New York City and Madrid, before settling in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the early 1970s. Her experiences in these cities significantly influenced her artistic development, leading to the creation of her signature shaped canvases. These works often explore themes of femininity and sensuality, utilizing the manipulation of canvas into undulating, three-dimensional forms.
The artwork owned by Southern was donated by the artist and facilitated by Professor Emeritus Rita Geada, who had a personal connection with the artist. At the time of the donation, Sánchez was relatively unknown outside of Puerto Rico. Today, her work is part of prestigious collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She is represented by Galerie Lelong & Co., which has locations in Paris and New York, and has received media attention from notable outlets such as The New York Times, ArtReview, and Vogue magazine.
“It’s extraordinary this work came to be in the collection,” said Cort Sierpinski, professor of art and director of the Buley Art Gallery. “The importance of the piece cannot be overstated. Its scale alone makes it unique, and it is known to be the largest Sánchez ever produced.”
The shaped canvas, comprised of three panels, each seven feet tall and a combined eleven feet wide, caught the attention of Alyson Cluck, Ph.D. candidate in art history at the University of Maryland. Cluck is completing her dissertation project on Sánchez and has been conducting research for a major retrospective at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.
“Alyson reached out to the Art Department in 2019, just when I’d taken over as gallery director,” said Sierpinski. “When I described what we had, she asked to come and see it. Unfortunately, the work had significant damage and was in dire need of restoration.”
That meeting led to conversations with Galerie Lelong & Co. and a conservator of the artist’s work. It became evident that it was time to restore the piece, a conservation project Sierpinski learned would be lengthy and costly.
“The gallery gave us an estimate of 50k to conserve the piece,” said Sierpinski, “and that was just the initial figure. Two weeks later they contacted me again, and the estimate had gone up.”
After careful research and meticulous measurements, Sierpinski decided to take on the project himself. The secrecy surrounding the artist’s process would prove challenging. Sánchez gave few details to anyone, even her own conservator.
“It had to be exactly right,” he said. “Every detail needed to adhere to Sánchez’s specifications.”
Painstaking care was taken to ensure that the restoration would not be visible in the end. After a year-long conservation effort, the piece has been restored to its original state—the only work of Zilia Sánchez in the world fully restored to this level.
Sánchez, who lived a remarkable 98 years, peacefully passed away on December 18, 2024, and discussions are currently underway on how to put this work permanently on display at the university. Among the possibilities: spotlighting it above the art gallery’s dramatic multi-story entrance.
“Wherever we install it,” said Sierpinski, “one thing is abundantly clear. The proper care and stewardship of the university’s collection is vital. This piece was entrusted to us. We need to protect it for generations to come.”
For more information about the collection, contact Cort Sierpinski at Sierpinskic1@southernct.edu or visit SouthernCT.edu/art-gallery. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, during the academic year, from 11 am to 4 pm. Classes are welcome.
