The Wayne Thiebaud Foundation has donated 12 works to the UC Davis Fine Arts Collection that originated in the personal collection of the late Department of Art and Art History Professor Emeritus (1961-1991). 

Artwork by world-renowned 20th-century luminaries such as Willem De Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn, Giorgio Morandi, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso is part of the generous gift.

The foundation is run by Thiebaud’s stepson, alum Matt Bult (BA, art history, ’82), who serves as chairman; Bult’s sons, Alex, president, and Nick, archivist; and wife, Maria Bult (BA, art studio and psychology, ’92), secretary.

“That was Wayne’s most important point: That his work and his collection of other work would carry on so that it could be used as a teaching tool,” Matt Bult said. “The foundation is fortunate enough to have a good amount of holdings of other people’s works that Wayne was able to collect, trade for and buy during his career.”

The Wayne Thiebaud Foundation preserves and promotes Thiebaud’s artistic legacy through donating and loaning works to museums and institutions with the purpose of education and study. While not the first works from the foundation to enter the collection—Bult had given 24 Thiebaud prints in 2021, in addition to the many teaching prints and paintings Thiebaud personally donated—this gift opens up new possibilities for the collection, scholarship, and future exhibitions.