“POP Culture: Selections from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation” curated by Ms. Billie Milam Weisman and has been made possible by the support of University, which includes the works of Andy Warhol, Claes Oldenburg, Jenny Holzer, Keith Haring, Nam June Paik, Richard Artschwager, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselman, Yayoi Kusama and many more.
Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation
“I don’t think there is anything that communicates better than art—it is quicker than language and clearer than philosophy.” –Frederick R. Weisman
The late Frederick R. Weisman – entrepreneur, philanthropist, and art collector – wanted to give back to the public who enabled his business success. With this aim, Mr. Weisman established both the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation and the Frederick R. Weisman Philanthropic Foundation in the mid 1980s. Now under the presidency of Billie Milam Weisman and the Board of Trustees, the Foundations continue to carry out Mr. Weisman’s mission of social and cultural contribution.
Frederick R. Weisman grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He became a successful businessman and eventually settled in Los Angeles. At the age of thirty-one, he became the president of Hunt Foods, Inc. Mr. Weisman established many corporations, most notably Mid-Atlantic Toyota in 1970, one of the first of only four distributorships of Toyota automobiles in the United States. Though Mr. Weisman made his fortune in business, it was his art collection—begun in the mid 1950s—that established him as an international figure.
Billie Milam was also born in Minnesota like her late husband. She received her Master's in Art History from UCLA, followed by an internship in art conservation at Harvard University. She has held positions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum.
The Weismans strongly believed in sharing art with the public. Billie and Frederick Weisman worked closely together to acquire works for the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, as well as to foster the charitable activities of the Frederick R. Weisman Philanthropic Foundation. Today, both Foundations remain committed to continuing the vision of Frederick R. Weisman.
