BMA Adds 118 Artworks from Caplan Gift

The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) has announced the acquisition of approximately 118 artworks over the past six months. The new works, obtained through purchases, gifts, and promised gifts, span periods, cultures, and mediums, strengthening the museum's global holdings and its collection of work by Baltimore-area artists. You can explore the museum's collection and related data on our stats page.

A major component is a gift of 64 works from Baltimore resident Constance R. Caplan, a former BMA board chair who has been engaged with the institution for more than 50 years. Her donation includes pieces by artists such as Janine Antoni, Bernd and Hilla Becher, and Lisa Yuskavage.

Other acquisitions include paintings by Oswaldo Guayasamín and Amy Sherald, sculptures by Rina Banerjee, and ceramics by Siphiwe Nala. Photographs by Curran Hatleberg and works on paper by Tarsila do Amaral also entered the collection, as detailed in our collection fixtures.

Asma Naeem, the BMA’s Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director, said the acquisitions reflect institutional priorities. "Over the past several years, the BMA has invested strongly in several important strategies," Naeem stated. She cited enhancing collection diversification, developing collaborative relationships, and uplifting Baltimore's artistic community as key goals.

Seven Highlighted Acquisitions

The museum provided details on seven specific works newly added to its collection.

Myrlande Constant, *Agou Zeclaire*, 1999

Born in Port-au-Prince in 1968, Myrlande Constant emerged in the early 2000s as one of the first women makers of devotional Haitian drapo Vodou, or Vodou flags. Her contemporary interpretations are often larger and more ornate than customary. They frequently explore the intersection of terrestrial and spiritual worlds, as seen in this piece dedicated to Agaou, the Vodou spirit of storms.

Louis Fratino, *Studio Nude*, 2025

Louis Fratino, born in 1993, creates figurative paintings and drawings from a queer male perspective. His work draws on modernist masters like Matisse and Georgia O'Keeffe. Based on personal memories, his art ranges from tender portraits to explicit images and variations on traditional subjects like the nude model.

Reverend Joyce McDonald, *Momma’s Love*, 1998

Artist, activist, and "spiritual nurse" Reverend Joyce McDonald was ordained as a minister in 2009. She began working with clay in 1997 during an art-therapy program, creating sculptures on themes of survival and healing. McDonald considers her art inseparable from her advocacy, which includes founding an HIV-awareness group for young girls and working with women in shelters.

Rina Banerjee, *Contagious Migrations*, 1999 to 2023

Indian-born artist Rina Banerjee addresses migration and diaspora in her work. Contagious Migrations, first shown at the 2000 Whitney Biennial, considers the fear of disease in relation to an aversion to difference. The piece layers unconventional materials like false fingernails and spices to evoke bodies moving despite containment systems.

**Oswaldo Guayasamín, *Atahualpa*, 1946**

Ecuadorian painter Oswaldo Guayasamín is known for his meditations on the struggles of Indigenous communities across Latin America. This depiction of the last Inca emperor, Atahualpa, is a rarity in his oeuvre. Guayasamín received a UNESCO special prize in 1994 for his career-long defense of human rights.

**Oumar Ka, *Reclining Woman*, 1959 to 1968 (printed 2024)**

Senegalese photographer Oumar Ka developed a distinctive approach during Africa's independence-era portrait photography heyday. Unlike urban studio photographers, Ka worked outdoors, incorporating his portable backdrops and the surrounding scenery into his compositions. In Reclining Woman, the subject is captured from a distance, allowing environmental details into the frame.

**Siphiwe Nala, Ukhamba (Drinking Vessel), c. 1960s**

Siphiwe Nala was a renowned maker of traditional Zulu beer pots, or izinkamba. These vessels and their contents are believed to attract ancestors to important life events. Nala's aesthetically refined examples were highly sought after. This burnished and incised vessel showcases her technical skill, with signs of use indicating its ritual and aesthetic value.