» Phyllis and Ross Escalette Permanent Collection of Art

In 2009, the art collections at Chapman University was named after trustee Ross Escalette and his wife Phyllis who gave a generous gift that set in motion a new era for Chapman as a center for art in Orange County. Because Ross and Phyllis established an endowment, the collection continues to grow, infusing Chapman’s campus with new expressions of color, form and vibrancy. 

Meet the Escalettes

Currently, the collection comprises more than 700 pieces from a variety of media ranging from drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, photography and mixed media. Works of art from the collection are regularly utilized for exhibition, classroom and research purposes.

 The Escalette Permanent Collection of Art was founded with the belief that art is an integral part of the educational process at Chapman University. We take pride in giving our students, faculty and staff the opportunity to spend their days at Chapman surrounded by beautiful and inspirational works of art as they learn, discover and grow. As Chapman continues to grow in both size and reputation, we strive to remain faithful to the foundations of a liberal education in which seemingly disparate disciplines – like the arts and sciences — are interconnected partners in the pursuit of learning and discovery.

There are several ways to navigate our eMuseum website.

1. On the home Collections page, we have created groupings of objects to represent the collection, including medium, New Acquisitions, Currently on View, and Featured. We plan to continue adding more groupings as we investigate new themes and artists in our exhibitions and on-campus collaborations.
2. Another option is to use the left-hand menu. These icon buttons allow you to search by Collection, People (in our case, artists), Exhibitions, and MyCollections.

Creating your own Collection is simple; just click on the folder icon on the left-hand menu and type in your collection name. Every object on eMuseum has a "add to MyCollection" button; to add an object to your collection, simply click this button and the object will be added automatically. 

Creativity After Combat 

February 3 – August 21, 2020
Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum, Second Floor

This exhibition honors veterans, past and present, and explores the unique ability of visual art to capture aspects of the veteran experience. 

Digital Exhibition Includes:

- All artwork and labels on display including an exhibition layout map
- Pictures from all exhibition-related events
- Recording of lecture by Yvette M. Pino

La Frontera/The Border: An Interdisciplinary Examination 

May 5 – November 17, 2019
Various locations on campus

During Fall 2019, Chapman University embarked on a campus-wide interrogation of border issues, particularly those surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Digital Exhibition Includes:

- Artwork, extended labels, and catalogue text from all 4 art exhibitions including installation     images and an exhibition layout
- Pictures of almost all La Frontera/The Border- related events including video recordings of      lectures
- List of resources for migrants, undocumented individuals, and anyone wishing to help those    communities

The Great Icon: Chapman University's Collection of Russian Icons 

Born-digital exhibition and catalog, 2018

Digital Exhibition Includes: 

• Introduction to history, function, and iconography of Russian Icons 
• Full catalog of Chapman University's collection of Russian Icons with annotations 
• Stories and first-hand accounts of the icons' provenance 

Moving Forward, Looking Back: Journeys Along the Old Spanish Trail

February 1 – June 6, 2017
Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum, Second Floor

Moving Forward, Looking Back: Journeys Across the Old Spanish Trail is an artistic project combining photography, video, and sound by Spanish artist Janire Nájera who has explored the Spanish legacy along the Old Spanish Trail.

Virtual Exhibition – this site allows you to virtually walk the halls of the Henley Galleria. Along the way, you can click on individual pieces of art that you would like to view more closely.

2/3/20-7/5/21 | Creativity After Combat |  Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

Digital Exhibition

9/4/19-1/15/20 | BorderClick: Tijuana/San Diego | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

5/2/19-11/17/19 | The Border: An Interdisciplinary Examination | Leatherby Libraries 

2/28/19- 9/20/19 |  New Looks: Recent Acquisitions from the Escalette Collection | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

9/27/18-1/31/19 | Remembering War in Southern California | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum 

2/5/18-7/13/19 | Interplay: Music and the Escalette Collection | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum 

9/13/17-1/5/18 | My Barrio: Emigdio Vasques and Chicana/o Identity in Orange County | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum, Guggenheim Gallery, North Cypress Street 

2/1/17-6/27/17 | Moving Forward, Looking Back: Journeys Along the Old Spanish Trail | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum 

8/28/16-1/2/17 | Geometric Aljamía: A Cultural Transliteration | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum 

7/18/16-8/14/16 | The Emblematic | Guggenheim Gallery 

2/1/16-6/1/16 | 1:1 Pairings from the Escalette Collection of Art | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum 

7/20/15-9/8/15 | Paths and Edges: Celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of the Escalette collection | Guggenheim Gallery 

2/1/15-6/1/15 | To Arms: The Western Front 1914-1918 | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

1/15/15-8/18/15 | Hidden Treasures: Art from the Permanent Collection of Orange County Colleges and Universities | John Wayne Airport 

9/1/14-1/5/15 | Rare Gold: Selections from the Chapman University Collections | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

Exhibition organized by the Escalette Collection of Art and the Huell Howser Found Art Collection

2/2/14-7/31/14 | Stalin's Russia: Visions of Happiness, Omens of Terror | Henley Galleria, Argyros Forum

The Escalette Collection of Art staff manages artwork from the Escalette Collection on campus, including its installation, research, storage, and care, as well as organizing exhibitions and community outreach, and overseeing the Student Art Ambassador program. We also handle donations and loans of artwork within the scope of the Escalette Collections.

We are always happy to help with your questions about the art collections!  

• For collection inquiries contact Jessica Bocinski, Registrar bocinski@chapman.edu
• For tours and other inquiries contact Fiona Shen, Director shen@chapman.edu

Fiona Shen (Ph.D. Art History, University of St. Andrews, Scotland) joined Chapman in 2016 as the Escalette Collection Director and has committed to collecting and exhibiting the work of under-represented artists. Prior to this, she was Associate Professor and Director of Research at Sino-British College, Shanghai, PRC, a joint venture between University of Shanghai for Science and Technology and the Northern Consortium of United Kingdom universities, and consulted for cultural organizations and museums in China. She was Director of the Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota from 1997-2005. Her research interests lie in interdisciplinary approaches to design history and the decorative arts, and she is the author of Silver (Reaktion Books, 2017) and the upcoming title Pearl for Reaktion Books. She is the author of Knowledge is Pleasure: Florence Ayscough in Shanghai (Hong Kong University Press, 2012) and has published extensively in the area of design history.

Jessica Bocinski is the Registrar for the Escalette Permanent Collection of Art at Chapman University. She received her BA in Art History and Anthropology from Chapman University in 2018 before beginning her career as a young museum professional. As Registrar, Jessica has focused on expanding the collection’s accessibility by creating virtual exhibitions on Scalar and building an online collection on eMuseum. Through improved inventory processes and object research, she has also supported the Escalette Collection’s goals of acquiring works by diverse artists, and integrating those works into classes and student research on campus. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in English Literature at Chapman University. 

Student Art Ambassadors are Chapman University students who act as liaisons between the collection and the student body, host tours and workshops for groups large and small, attend all collection events, and promote the arts at Chapman.

Last year, the program expanded to include five very talented students (below). Would you like to join the Art Ambassadors program? Apply today!