The Collection

In 1976, FAM accepted a collection of art acquired by Mr. W. T. Rawleigh, a prominent citizen of both Freeport and the State of Illinois. Mr. Rawleigh was a Freeport industrialist who traveled the world in connection with his business and along the way, collected art for his personal collection. His generosity in sharing his acquisitions led to our first collection. The collection has continued to grow through acquisitions and generous donations from collectors across the country. The Museum’s tribal holdings are second only to those of the Field Museum in Chicago. FAM recently received a gift of Indonesian textiles valued at nearly $500,000. This donation was part of a total collection shared with the Art Institute of Chicago and the Fowler Museum at UCLA. FAM was honored to be a part of this distinguished group of museums. The heart of the Freeport Art Museum is an extensive and expanding art collection that spans 4,000 years of mankind’s aesthetic endeavors.