James E. Brewton Foundation, Inc. ~ official site

The James E. Brewton Foundation, Inc.
a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Locating and preserving artwork by Jim Brewton (1930-1967)

Working with educational and cultural institutions to study and promote Jim's work and the avant-garde.

Jim Brewton in Silkeborg, Denmark (ca. 1965), with his portrait of the 'triumviratet'--three men who lent space to Asger Jorn for his museum. This painting is missing.

Patatarget (n.d.) oils and mixed media on canvas

Asger Jorn, pour tous les hommes (1964) oils on canvas

OUR WORK
We locate, preserve and protect works of art by Philadelphia-based painter and printmaker James E. Brewton in order to exhibit them and foster the study of their underlying philosophy.
In collaboration with educational and cultural institutions, we help enhance public awareness, study and understanding of avant-garde arts movements and artists' groups such as CoBrA, Pataphysics and abstract expressionism.
     Jim made a brilliant start, but died at age 36. (Biography here.) After a couple of memorial shows in 1968 and 1971, his work was dispersed and Jim was largely forgotten.
His daughter, Emily, formed the Brewton Foundation in 2008 and, with support from a renowned curator and Jim's friends, began hunting for the artwork.
Finding and stabilizing the artwork was our primary focus during the first years of operation. When the search began, we knew of about 14 pieces. We're very grateful that, as of 2018, we have located more than 175 works. We know of at least 35 that are still missing.
In 2014, we collaborated with the scholars who organized a three-day conference and events called 'Philadelphia a la Pataphysique' at the University of Pennsylvania. One of the events was Jim Brewton's first solo show in 43 years.
Based on the success of 'Philadelphia a la Pataphysique,' the Philadelphia Avant-Garde Studies Consortium (PASC) was founded. PASC has hosted symposia twice a year since the 2014 conference. The Brewton Foundation is delighted to be a PASC partner organization; the ongoing collaboration fulfills the second half of our mission.
     If you'd like more information about the Brewton Foundation, or you have a Brewton artwork we should know about, please contact us.
We are an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) charity. Donate here with PayPal or credit card. Your tax-deductible donation helps bring the artworks back to life, exhibit them and collaborate with educational and cultural organizations.
Please stay in touch by bookmarking our website and "liking" Brewton on FaceBook.

We continue to look for Jim's art, as well as attend to the conservation and cleaning of the pieces we've already found.
We've posted images of missing works here.

Please visit our Contact page:

To ask about internships and other research opportunities;
For more information about the Brewton Foundation;
To let us know about your Brewton artwork;
To make a tax-deductible donation; we are an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) charity. Your donations bring artworks back to life and are much appreciated.