Thinking Back on CAPP—Alison Reilly '09
The summer before I joined the Contemporary Art Purchasing Program (CAPP) I interned at a gallery in New York so I had some exposure to the intricacies of the art world, but CAPP gave me an opportunity to be on the other side of the decision-making process. While a few galleries were apprehensive about a group of five students from Maryland, most of the gallery directors warmly welcomed us into their spaces and understood that we had real purchasing power. As a committee member, I gained practical negotiation and collaboration skills in order to present my selections for the collection to other committee members and our advisory board.
I was particularly interested in Edward Burtynsky’s work because of his stunning documentation of the effects of human and industrial intervention on the land. His gallery in New York ended up closing while we were negotiating with them, but we were still able to purchase his photograph Silver Lake Operations #1, Lake Lefroy, Western Australia, 2007, which I am thrilled to have in the Stamp Collection. Artist Dulce Pinzón also invited us into her studio in Brooklyn, which was really the first time I visited an artist’s studio. We purchased two of her photographs from the series "The real story of Superheroes," which questions the recognition of immigrants in the United States and remains as socially relevant now as it was in 2009.
CAPP was one of the most significant experiences for me as an undergraduate student because I was invested from start to finish – from the initial artist research to finally seeing the work hanging on the walls of the Stamp Student Union. I’m very proud of the work that I did with Sana Javed, Ophra Paul, Ali Steubner, and Megan Wickless, with the support of our advisors, Jackie Milad and Megan Rook-Koepsel.
Alison Reilly, UMD '09
2008–2009 CAPP Committee