Blackburn Receives $10,000 Gift From Acclaimed Artist Joseph Cornell's Memorial Foundation

CARLINVILLE - Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, has received a $10,000 gift from the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation. The generous gift will support experiential learning opportunities for students in Blackburn’s Department of Fine Art.

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation is a charitable trust named for the acclaimed 20th-century American artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) that honors the memory of the artist and his disabled younger brother. Cornell was a pioneer of collage art and glass-fronted shadow boxes. His work has been seen around the world, with the most recent exhibits at the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Today, the Foundation provides support to a variety of nonprofit and educational organizations, with a specific emphasis on the arts.

“Arts education is an important part of the Blackburn student experience,” Blackburn Trustee and Alumnus Jim Faust shared. Faust was instrumental in establishing the connection between Blackburn with the Foundation to obtain this gift. “These funds will be impactful for the Fine Arts Department, and we are so pleased that the Cornell Memorial Foundation is helping to enrich the lives and academic achievement of students at Blackburn.”

Professor Craig Newsom, the Pegram Endowed Chair of Fine Arts at Blackburn, shared that the Department will use the gift to fund experiential artistic learning opportunities for Blackburn art students. “We have already completed an art history trip to St. Louis. Professor Chris Day and I are currently planning an overnight trip to Chicago for the Seminar class. This will involve visiting the Art Institute as well as the Chicago Cultural Center.” Newsom explained that while in graduate school at the University of Chicago, he found the Art Institute uniquely influential. “Interestingly, the Institute has a collection of Joseph Cornell's work, and I got a lot of inspiration from his work.”

The Department of Fine Arts at Blackburn provides a high-quality, comprehensive education to students exploring the areas of design, drawing, painting, ceramics and sculpture, new media, and photography. The Department serves 20-25% of the student body each year pursuing majors or minors in art; a number now increasing with the recent implementation of the college’s graphic design program. Within Blackburn’s unique student-led Work Program, the Department of Fine Art also offers students opportunities not usually available to undergraduates, including producing, curating, and managing exhibitions in Blackburn’s two galleries.

About Blackburn College

Founded in 1837, Blackburn College is a four-year, Presbyterian-related, co-educational liberal arts college located in Carlinville, IL. One of only ten federally-recognized Work Colleges, Blackburn has the only program in the nation fully managed by students. Balancing academic rigor and experiential learning, each student at Blackburn gains tangible experience and develops critical skills by contributing to their community, all while building a resume and earning their degree. U.S. News & World Report recognized Blackburn College as one of the top Liberal Arts Colleges in the Nation for Social Mobility in their Best Colleges lists for 2020, 2021, and 2022. The Center for Education & the Workforce at Georgetown University ranked Blackburn as a top performer for Earnings-Price Return - 209% (#1 in IL, #10 in the U.S.) and Net Price (#1 in IL; #11 in the U.S.). The Washington Monthly twice ranked Blackburn as the best baccalaureate college in Illinois.

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