Auction to Sell Late Robert Bush’s Art Collection for Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council

Grief, gratitude and an online auction to benefit Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council

For months, former ASC President Krista Terrell has been helping to organize a public auction to sell the extensive art collection once owned by the late Robert Bush, her friend, mentor, and former boss.

By Glenn H. Burkins

Former ASC President Krista Terrell has helped organize a public auction to sell the extensive art collection once owned by the late Robert Bush, her friend, mentor, and former Arts & Science Council (ASC) president. She is pictured here in Bush’s former condominium, surrounded by some of the 200-plus pieces that will be auctioned off. (Photo: QCity Metro)

“A lot of fond memories in this place,” Krista Terrell whispered as she entered the dimly lit condominium that once belonged to the late Robert Bush, her friend, mentor, and former Arts & Science Council (ASC) president. On every wall and in every space, artwork adorned the fashionable unit – ceramic teapots, face jugs, paintings, wall reliefs, and more – some 250 cherished pieces in all.

“That’s a Willie Little piece,” Terrell pointed out before moving on to the next piece in Bush’s extensive and eclectic collection. “Since on this project, I’m here probably two times a week,” she said. “Lately, it’s been even more as we’re gearing up to begin.”

The project

“The project,” as Terrell called it, is a coordinated effort to host an online auction to sell the personal art collection that Bush spent the better part of 40 years acquiring, from the 1980s through the 2020s. The auction is scheduled to begin Monday, July 15, at 10 a.m. and end Sunday, July 21, at 11:45 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Robert E. Bush Jr. Endowment Fund, which supports the ASC’s efforts to fund community-based arts and culture programming in Charlotte’s diverse neighborhoods. The value of individual pieces in the art collection ranges from $25 to $12,000, according to a press release announcing the auction. The collection includes acclaimed artists such as Burlon Craig, Herb Jackson, Willie Little, Juan Logan, Wan Marsh, Ben Owen III, and Richard Stenhouse, among others. Five paintings have been exhibited at the Hickory Museum of Art.

“The overall condition of the collection is excellent and its greatest strength is its broad representation of ceramics, found object sculptures, and works on paper,” consulting curator Carla Hanzal said in a statement. Marc Gustafson, friend and executor of Bush’s estate, said the endowment reflects Bush’s “lifelong commitment” to “equitable access to arts and culture experiences.” Funds raised, he said, will “ensure ASC has the resources to continue investing in arts and culture programs at the neighborhood level across Charlotte-Mecklenburg.”

Remembering Robert Bush

Supporting community-based arts and culture projects, Terrell said, was at “the very core to Robert’s passion about arts being accessible.” “I think that came from his experiences growing up in Hickory and what he later experienced during his time in a band and [seeing] how African-Americans [and other disenfranchised groups] were treated,” she said. Bush died on the morning of Dec. 8, 2022, from health complications related to the Covid-19 virus. He was 70 years old.

“I think it’s important for people to know that Robert cared deeply about the community, the grassroots level as well,” Terrell said. Working on “the project” – her official role is project manager – has allowed Terrell the time and space she has needed to grieve, she said. When Bush died, Terrell was serving her own term as ASC president, working to guide the arts organization through a tumultuous time when the nation, and indeed the world, had all but shut down.

A lasting legacy

“Loss is really rough,” Terrell said, recalling times when, alone in Bush’s former condo, emotions flooded her like a sudden storm. “I think we take one day at a time,” she said. “That’s all we can do. … When I’m in here, sometimes I can picture him coming around the corner. I could see him coming around the corner, saying, ‘Hellooo.’ And I was like, ‘Helloooo.’”

Terrell said working on the auction has allowed her to “really process the impact that he has made in my life, but also in the cultural sector and in Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.” Although anyone can bid on pieces in the Bush collection, Terrell said she had been intentional about reaching out to people who were closest to Bush. “I think they may want to take a piece of him with them through the art,” she said.

Equally important, she said, she wants Charlotte to remember Bush as “a creative person.” “He was very caring,” she said, “cared deeply about the cultural sector, and cared deeply about access and equity. As Robert taught me, … regardless of where you come from, your zip code, age, race, sexual orientation, everyone should have access to arts and cultural experiences.”

Legacy Fund for Community Arts

“That is the work that ASC has been doing, thanks to Robert’s leadership,” Terrell said. “I think this endowment fund is his legacy for ASC to continue to move forward as it relates to investing in community at the neighborhood level.”

Regardless of where you come from, your zip code, age, race, sexual orientation, everyone should have access to arts and cultural experiences. This article was based on a news story from a local news network in Charlotte. Since I cannot provide direct information but rewrite as a fresh news piece. If you need further information, feel free to ask.