Alex Katz is one of the most important American artists of our time, and his impressive body of work constitutes a unique aspect of modern Realism. In 1992 Alex Katz donated more than 400 of his works to the Colby College Museum of Art with the understanding that a wing would be built to house them. The Paul J. Schupf Wing for the Works of Alex Katz, which opened in 1996, was made possible through the generosity of Colby trustee Paul J. Schupf, who contributed the naming gift for the building. The Schupf Wing makes the Colby museum one of the few in the United States with a wing devoted solely to the work of a living artist. Schupf has also given a number of important works by Katz, including the large-scale painting Pas de Deux, an iconic Katz painting from 1983, in honor of Hugh J. Gourley III, director emeritus of the museum. Colby's collection now includes more than 600 Katz works and related archival materials.