Donna Ford Attallah’s Angels coming to life at the Leatherby Libraries
December 18, 2018
Have you ever collected anything? Have you ever collected over 5,000 of anything? Donna Ford Attallah, Chapman class of 1961, Trustee, and university donor, boasts just over five thousand angels in her collection. Donna has been collecting her angels for over forty years, and her collection includes a wide variety of sizes, materials, and features. From large bronze sculptures, to whimsical papier-mâché dolls, to tiny crystal figurines, Donna’s angels provide protection, guidance, and comfort for her and others.
From August to December of 2015, the Doy and Dee Henley Reading Room hosted an “Angels” exhibit, which showcased a selection of angels from Donna’s collection, as well as the “Angels” series of paintings by artist Isa D’Arleans. An opening reception was held for the event in late September 2015, and members of the Chapman community, from faculty members to Town & Gown members, came to see the visiting collection. Donna’s angels were such a welcome presence in the library that we eagerly awaited having them with us again.
The Leatherby Libraries are honored to announce that, in February 2019, Group Study Room #215 will be dedicated as the Donna Ford Attallah ’61 Angels Room. The room will include a permanent installation of a wide sampling of Donna’s angels. The room will be unveiled in a private event in February, after which it will be available to the students, faculty and researchers via our booking platform as well as private tours that can be coordinated directly with Development Librarian, Essraa Nawar at nawar@chapman.edu.
In preparation for the installation and the dedication of the new study room, several members of the Leatherby Libraries team visited Donna’s home last week, where we had the pleasure of touring Donna’s angel collection, in the presence of one of the artists, Debbee Thibault. It was a delight for us all to talk with Donna and see the angels in their displays, and we can’t wait to have our angels here with us. The room will house an exquisite display cabinet with a sampling of angels from the private collection of Donna Ford Attallah ’61.