The power to define “museum-quality” art is usually reserved for seasoned curators with decades of experience. But at the Samek Art Museum, students are stepping behind the scenes of museum decision-making and helping determine what art becomes part of Bucknell’s legacy.
The Trevisani Fund for Art Acquisition, often referred to as the Trevisani Project, is a student-advised acquisition program that allows Bucknell students to help select and purchase artwork for the Samek’s permanent collection. The initiative blends education, access and long-term impact, giving students a rare opportunity to participate directly in the art market while shaping a collection meant to serve the Bucknell community for generations.
“It’s really about connecting students,” said Theresa Engelbrecht, the museum’s Registrar and Exhibition Manager. “The collection that the Samek has is Bucknell’s art collection, and so the impetus for the project is if the collection is supposed to be for the students, then the students should help shape it.”
Engelbrecht has been involved with the project since its earliest days. Before the Trevisani Fund was formally named and donor-supported, the program began as a pilot initiative inspired by a conference Engelbrecht attended in 2018 of academic museums and galleries.
“I heard about another college doing a student-advised acquisition, and I thought, that sounds great for Bucknell,” Engelbrecht said.
The first iteration launched in 2022 during the pandemic, when students reviewed artworks digitally and selected two pieces for acquisition. According to Engelbrecht, those initial purchases included a lithograph by a contemporary Native American artist.
Following strong student engagement and enthusiasm, the project gained donor support and was officially named the Trevisani Fund for Art Acquisition. Its inaugural purchase under that name took place in 2023, and the program has run annually since.
Kala Brzezinski, the Samek’s Public Programs and Outreach Manager, joined Bucknell in November and is participating in the Trevisani Project for the first time this year. From her perspective, the initiative offers students a window into a side of the art world they might not otherwise encounter.
“Trevisani, from my perspective, is an opportunity for students to learn about and to be educated on art collecting,” Brzezinski said. “From a perspective of a museum or a gallery, or as a personal point of interest – understanding how art collecting works, and understanding the art market.”
For Brzezinski, the program’s educational value is enhanced by its permanence. “It’s allowing students to be able to make a permanent contribution to the museum’s permanent collection that has a lasting impact on the institution and the collection for future Bucknell students,” she said.
Each year, between five and eight students have participated in the program, though organizers hope to expand participation over time. Students are selected primarily through the Samek Student Advisors Group, an open and growing group for students interested in the Samek’s work and programming.
“It doesn’t have to be people who are art, education, or art and design students,” Brzezinski said. “It can be anyone who is interested in art and museums and art collecting. We just like to bring in people with a variety of different backgrounds.”
Students apply through a Google Form that outlines program expectations, including three required meetings and a full-day trip. The program unfolds over several stages. Students first meet on campus to learn about the Samek’s existing collection and discuss what it means to collect art on behalf of a community rather than an individual.
“What does it mean to collect not for yourself, but for a community?” Engelbrecht said. “What does Bucknell need, rather than what do I want to buy?”
That groundwork leads into the program’s climax: a day trip to experience artworks in person. This year, students will travel to New York City, where they will visit galleries and a contemporary art museum, with tours focused on acquisition and institutional collecting.
“The trip is intended for [the students] to see the works in person that we’re considering for acquisition,” Engelbrecht said. “The idea is that you shouldn’t buy art without looking at what it looks like in person, getting a sense of scale, materiality, and also meeting as many people from the different facets of our world as possible… And then that’s when they’re absorbing what they think they might vote for.”
Brzezinski emphasized that the trip is designed to demystify how the art world functions. “Those visits will be facilitated by the gallerists walking us through what is available and how that particular gallery operates,” she said.
After returning to campus, students discuss the artworks they viewed, share perspectives and participate in ranked-choice voting to determine which piece will be acquired.
Past participants describe the experience as transformative. As former student participant Mae Genovese ’25 reflected, it was “an enlightening experience that allowed me to apply my art history and accounting majors to contemporary artists and the business of art.”
Those interested in participating this year can complete this Google Form outlining the program’s structure, required dates and application details. Students may also reach out directly to Kala Brzezinski ([email protected]) with any questions.
As the Trevisani Fund for Art Acquisition continues to grow, it remains grounded in student voices. In doing so, it transforms the museum from a place students visit into one they actively shape.
