HARN MUSEUM OF ART BEQUEATHED 312 WORKS OF ASIAN ART

DR DAVID A COFRIN, ONE OF THE FOUNDING DONORS OF THE HARN MUSEUM OF ART AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, HAS BEQUEATHED 312 WORKS OF ASIAN ART WORTH AN ESTIMATED $4.2 MILLION TO THE MUSEUM. DR COFRIN ALSO ESTABLISHED A $1 MILLION ENDOWMENT FOR THE ACQUISITION OF ASIAN ART. THE GIFTED WORKS INCLUDE JADES, CERAMICS, METALS SUCH AS CLOISONNE AND BRONZE, GLASS, IVORY AND LACQUERS FROM CHINA, JAPAN AND SOUTHEAST ASIA. THE DONATION IS PARTICULARLY STRONG IN CHINESE JADES WHICH PREDOMINANTLY DATE FROM THE MING DYNASTY AND QING DYNASTY. DR COFRIN'S BEQUEST BRINGS HIS TOTAL GIFTS TO THE HARN MUSEUM OF ART TO MORE THAN $30 MILLION. PRIOR TO THIS BEQUEST, DE COFRIN AND HIS WIFE MARY ANN DONATED $10 MILLION TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 26,000sqft DAVID A COFRIN ASIAN ART WING, A $20 MILLION ADDITIONAL SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 2012. HE AND HIS WIFE ARE ALSO INSTRUMENTAL IN FUNDING THE PURCHASE OF MORE THAN 150 WORKS FROM CHINA, INDIA, JAPAN AND KOREA IN THE HARN'S ASIAN ART COLLECTION, AS WELL AS ACQUISITIONS IN THE CONTEMPORARY, MODERN AND PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTIONS. THEIR FOUNDING DONATION OF $3 MILLION MADE THE FIRST MUSEUM BUILDING POSSIBLE. THE NEW WORKS WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN THE DAVID A COFRIN ASIAN ART WING WHEN IT OPENS. THE FOCUS OF THE FIRST EXHIBITION PRESENTED IN THE ASIAN WING'S MAIN GALLERY WILL BE OBJECTS GIVEN TO THE MUSEUM BY THE COLLECTORS AND DONORS WHO HAVE HELPED CREATE ONE OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF ASIAN ART IN THE REGION.