Little Rock couple donate 105 works of art to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

Robyn and John Horn of Little Rock have donated 105 works of art from their private collection to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the art center’s executive director announced Monday.

Victoria Ramirez, the museum’s executive director, announced the donation to board members and other supporters at the museum’s annual luncheon in its Cultural Living Room. The Horns have previously donated more than 50 art works to the museum.

Ramirez said the gift will include clay, metal, wood, glass and works on paper that will “significantly strengthen AMFA’s nationally renowned contemporary craft and works on paper collection.” She added the works include some by renowned artists like Barbara Hepworth, Louise Nevelson and Isamu Noguchi.

“Because of Robyn and John’s interest in both emerging and established artists, this gift will add depth and breadth to the collection, ultimately helping the museum present a more complete and compelling story,” Ramirez said.

Previously known as the Arkansas Arts Center, the museum underwent a major transformation, including a name change to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. The rebranding was part of a larger project involving extensive renovations and expansions to the building and surrounding grounds. The museum reopened to the public in April 2023 after being closed since 2019 for renovations.

“Thanks to the generosity of Robyn and John, additional outdoor sculptures will be added to the collection and to the landscape of MacArthur Park, as with their earlier gifts, these new works are helping to redefine the park as a space of contemplation, inspiration and play,” Ramirez said.

“By featuring outdoor sculpture of this scale, AMFA is doing something few museums can — we are bringing our collection into the open air where it can be experienced freely by the public. With these ongoing gifts, Robyn and John have given the museum one of the largest and most expansive collections of contemporary craft and sculpture, featuring artists from Arkansas to across the globe and spanning a remarkable range of media.”

Robyn Horn is an artist who is focused on works in wood. In 1984, she began working on the lathe making wood bowls and vases which eventually evolved into carving wood sculpture. John Horn is a letterpress printer, according to her website, robynhorn.com.