The Reading Public Museum has announced the acquisition of important works by Carlos Luna and Patrick McGrath Muñiz following the annual Purchase Party event. The purchases strengthen The Museum’s holdings of works by Latin American artists, a recent collecting focus.
On November 14, nearly 100 attendees gathered in the Jerome I. Marcus American Art Gallery for the annual Purchase Party, voting on the next work to enter the permanent collection. Four artworks by contemporary Latin American artists were brought to Reading for consideration, and in the weeks before the event the public was given the opportunity to vote online for their favorites. Two works quickly garnered the most public votes: Caballo by Carlos Luna (American/Cuban, b. 1969), and La Barca de los Creventes (The Ship of the Believers) by Patrick McGrath Muñiz (American/Puerto Rican, b. 1975). The voters in attendance on the night of the Purchase Party were of one accord with the public, with the same two works receiving the most votes.
At the end of the night, the winner was Caballo, a cast aluminum horse sculpture by Carlos Luna. The Museum hosted a popular exhibition of Luna’s work in 2023, and the desire to add his work to the permanent collection has been present ever since.
In an exciting twist, a group of generous donors recognized the poignancy and popularity of the runner up, La Barca de los Creventes (The Ship of the Believers), and came together to make the purchase of a second painting possible. With great thanks to Dr. Kristen Angstadt, Dr. Seth and Barbara Rosenzweig, Mr. Bill Sands, and Dr. Anna Weitz, La Barca de los Creventes (The Ship of the Believers) will now also permanently belong in Reading.
An exhibition titled Patrick McGrath Muñiz: Recolecciones/Recollections will be presented at The Museum from May 31 to August 24, 2025, and will include La Barca de los Creventes (The Ship of the Believers) and nearly two dozen additional paintings and drawings by Muñiz.
Curator of Art, Scott Schweigert, remarked: “These exciting new acquisitions bring with them new, diverse perspectives and help us in our efforts to move the collection in the direction of reflecting the richness of our community in Berks County and in south-eastern Pennsylvania. We can’t wait to share them with our visitors!”
The Reading Public Museum is thrilled to add these works to the permanent collection for the enjoyment and enrichment of the community for decades to come.
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, PA. Admission per day is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Online: www.readingpublicmuseum.org.
