Donation Giving Support | Barry Art Museum

Jane Piper Baltzell, Untitled (Composition in Red), detail

Giving

From now until December 31, 2025, your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by a generous anonymous donor! Your support of the Barry Art Museum is greatly appreciated!

The Barry Art Museum is a private, not-for-profit foundation. It was created in 2017 through the generosity of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III, who donated the Museum’s luminous new building, the Founders’ Collection of art, and operating funds. Visitors of all ages can explore art and the world in which it is made in a museum environment that encourages a dynamic relationship between art objects and observers. The permanent collection showcases international glass sculptures, 20th-century American Modernist paintings, and historical dolls and automata.

Donate Art

Art Donation Submission Form

Thank you for your interest in donating artwork to the Barry Art Museum. We are currently assessing donation requests on a case-by-case basis. Our collecting purview primarily focuses on American modernist paintings, maritime paintings, modern and contemporary glass, and historic dolls and automata. We prioritize pieces that contribute to filling narrative or timeline gaps in our current holdings and support the enrichment of our permanent collection. For conservation purposes, we consider pieces in good or excellent condition. If there is original packaging, please include that as well.

All prospective donations will be reviewed by our Collections Committee at its next meeting. Please note that due to the volume of inquiries, our response time may be delayed. We appreciate your patience as we carefully review each submission.

Please note that the Museum is temporarily closed as we expand our building. Although we will still be reviewing prospective donations with our Collections Advisory Committee during construction, our priority post-expansion will be the reinstallation of our permanent collection. Any donation under consideration must be kept in your possession until 2027 when we have reopened and are fully prepared to care for your art. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this significant project.

Please click above to fill out the prospective donation form, which will be sent to our Curator of Art for initial review. We look forward to reviewing your request and will respond timely should we have any further questions.

Please refrain from bringing in or shipping items until we respond.

Titian Ponytail Barbie in "Busy Gal" ensemble, Mattel, 1961

Divisions, Daniel Clayman (American, b. 1957), 1995, Gift of the Leah and Richard Waitzer Foundation

Expansion

Donate to the Museum Expansion

Barry Art Museum to Double its Gallery Space with New Expansion

The “Waitzer Wing” will extend to the south of the existing Museum and encompass three stories of new facilities.

The Barry Art Museum at Old Dominion University will double its gallery space by adding a three-story wing that will include a multiuse event space, a community gallery, an educational laboratory and more. The announcement comes on the fifth anniversary of the museum’s public opening in 2018.

Founded by art collectors Carolyn and Richard Barry, the Barry Art Museum houses a significant collection of contemporary glass, American and Marine paintings and historic dolls and automata. With the gift of the Waitzer Glass Collection in 2022, featuring 165 works of 20th-century and contemporary glass sculpture, the museum collection has expanded beyond the capacity of its current space.

“Embarking on this major expansion within just five years is a testament to the transformative power of art,” said Lewis Webb, Barry Art Museum board president. “Whether you’re a student, faculty member or simply a lover of art within our community, the Barry Art Museum showcases the remarkable achievements born from the fusion of our visionary founders and a thriving University.”