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50 Years
Celebrating the Gift
In 1971, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. made a transformational gift of more than 7,000 works of art to the City of Norfolk, and the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences was renamed in his honor. Over the decades, the gift has amplified the cultural landscape of Hampton Roads.
Learn more about Chrysler, Jr. as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the gift. When you visit the Museum galleries, pick up a Visitor Guide from the Welcome Desk and take a guided tour of object highlights from the Chrysler gift. While in the galleries, look for Double Takes, unique pairings of objects from the gift with new acquisitions and recent gifts that intend to raise provocative questions about themes like racial representation, standards of beauty, masculinity, implicit bias, white supremacy, and youth culture, among many others.
Keep reading below and plan your visit to celebrate with us at the Museum.
Learn about the Gift
Follow along on Torch, the Museum blog, and with highlighted stories below as we share a series on the evolution of the collector and his wife Jean Outland Chrysler, a Norfolk native. We'll delve into stories about a lifetime devoted entirely to art.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Chrysler Gift
In 1971, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. gifted more than 7,000 artworks from his personal collection to the City of Norfolk. His generosity established the Chrysler Museum of Art as the largest and most important visual arts organization in Hampton Roads. Read
Walter P. Chrysler, Jr: A Legacy
To kick off our 50th Anniversary blog series, Jeff Harrison, Curator Emeritus, shares the origin story of one of the most influential art collectors and benefactors of the twentieth century. Read
Bringing the Chrysler Collection Home: Jean Outland Chrysler’s Devotion to Norfolk
As a part of the 50th anniversary blog series, Jeff Harrison, curator emeritus, introduces us to Jean Outland Chrysler, the woman who ensured Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.’s collection found its permanent home in Norfolk. Read
Mapplethorpe’s Miracles
The Chrysler Museum’s unflinching commitment to photography can be traced to two exhibitions in 1978. Take a look back at Robert Mapplethorpe’s groundbreaking exhibition and what it reveals about the early days of the Chrysler Museum of Art. Read
Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.’s First World-Class Collection
Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. didn’t just build a world-class collection. He managed to build two! Read
Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. and the Business of Collecting
Walter collected "against the trend" at a dizzying pace to acquire renowned works, many of which found a home in Norfolk. Read
Collecting Runs in the Family: Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch
The series continues with the collecting story of another Chrysler, Walter's sister Bernice Chrysler Garbisch. Bernice and her husband, Colonel Edgar William Garbisch, amassed one of the nation’s preeminent collections of American folk art. Read
Object of the Week: Portrait of a Lady (Harriet Cany Peale), A Gift from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
A superb example of one of early America’s premier portraitists. Read