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Lot Essay
Patricia and Ernst Jan Hartmann (Pat and Jan) were passionate art collectors and philanthropists. Married for over six decades, they dedicated themselves to family, art and their community. Born in Sweden, Jan met Pat when he was a foreign exchange student at Oberlin College in Ohio. Pat always joked that she knew she was going to marry “that tall, blond Swede” the first time she laid eyes on him across the campus at Oberlin. The couple’s devotion to one another led Jan to immigrate to the United States, and in 1955 the couple married and settled in Michigan, where they built a life and raised their three children.
True partners in every sense of the word, the Hartmanns began their business careers working together at the Shatterproof Glass Company in Detroit, a company started by Pat’s parents in 1935. Pat and Jan both went to night school while they worked at Shatterproof and both earned their MBAs: Jan earned his degree from the University of Michigan and Indiana University, and Pat was one of the first women in Wayne State University’s MBA program. In 1969, Jan was hired by what would become the Ziebart International Corporation and soon thereafter purchased the company to become its chairman and president. By the end of the 1970's, Jan had grown Ziebart, which provides car after-care services, from 150 to 650 dealerships and had expanded into 40 countries.
The couple held an unwavering belief in the power of education, culture, and community. For Pat and Jan, it wasn’t enough to write a check; they got involved in their communities and supported a variety of institutions with hard work and expertise. They were especially involved in the Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills. Jan sat on the board of the Cranbrook Schools while Pat brought her energies to the Cranbrook Academy of Art (CAA), where she served on the board of governors for nearly half a century.
Although the Hartmann’s art collection features some of the twentieth century’s most celebrated names - Frank Stella, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Helen Frankenthaler, Henri Matisse and Harry Bertoia - it was support of the art students and CAA faculty that gave them the greatest pleasure. After Pat learned that young graduate students were sometimes creating artwork in studios without heat in the Michigan winters, she helped lead a major fundraising effort to rebuild and modernize the art studios at the CAA.
In the words of Roy Slade, [Director, Corcoran Gallery of Art (1972-77), and Director, Cranbrook Art Academy and Museum (1977-95)]: “As is evident in their outstanding collection, Jan and Pat had a fine feeling for and understanding of the best of contemporary art. In addition, Pat Hartmann supported and collected the work of Academy students. She befriended and helped many graduates throughout her years on the Academy Board, including her active and influential role as Chair. She delighted in wandering through the studios, visiting students and seeing their art in process. Pat is remembered fondly as not only a patron but a friend, always cheerful and forever encouraging the artists and graduates of Cranbrook Academy of Art.”
True partners in every sense of the word, the Hartmanns began their business careers working together at the Shatterproof Glass Company in Detroit, a company started by Pat’s parents in 1935. Pat and Jan both went to night school while they worked at Shatterproof and both earned their MBAs: Jan earned his degree from the University of Michigan and Indiana University, and Pat was one of the first women in Wayne State University’s MBA program. In 1969, Jan was hired by what would become the Ziebart International Corporation and soon thereafter purchased the company to become its chairman and president. By the end of the 1970's, Jan had grown Ziebart, which provides car after-care services, from 150 to 650 dealerships and had expanded into 40 countries.
The couple held an unwavering belief in the power of education, culture, and community. For Pat and Jan, it wasn’t enough to write a check; they got involved in their communities and supported a variety of institutions with hard work and expertise. They were especially involved in the Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills. Jan sat on the board of the Cranbrook Schools while Pat brought her energies to the Cranbrook Academy of Art (CAA), where she served on the board of governors for nearly half a century.
Although the Hartmann’s art collection features some of the twentieth century’s most celebrated names - Frank Stella, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Helen Frankenthaler, Henri Matisse and Harry Bertoia - it was support of the art students and CAA faculty that gave them the greatest pleasure. After Pat learned that young graduate students were sometimes creating artwork in studios without heat in the Michigan winters, she helped lead a major fundraising effort to rebuild and modernize the art studios at the CAA.
In the words of Roy Slade, [Director, Corcoran Gallery of Art (1972-77), and Director, Cranbrook Art Academy and Museum (1977-95)]: “As is evident in their outstanding collection, Jan and Pat had a fine feeling for and understanding of the best of contemporary art. In addition, Pat Hartmann supported and collected the work of Academy students. She befriended and helped many graduates throughout her years on the Academy Board, including her active and influential role as Chair. She delighted in wandering through the studios, visiting students and seeing their art in process. Pat is remembered fondly as not only a patron but a friend, always cheerful and forever encouraging the artists and graduates of Cranbrook Academy of Art.”