Hamras donate artwork worth $710K

Sam and June Hamra today announced the donation of 60 paintings valued at a combined $710,200 to colleges and the Springfield Art Museum.

The Hamras worked for 20 years with friend Bill Meek, director of Naples, Fla.-based Harmon-Meek Gallery, to arrange for the donations of American works by artists including Byron Browne, Gary Bukovnik, Adolf Dehn and Bob Kane, according to a news release.

Locally, donations were presented to Drury, Evangel and Missouri State universities, Ozarks Technical Community College and the art museum.

The Springfield Art Museum was awarded 14 paintings worth a combined $176,000. Other local donations and their values:

• MSU, seven paintings, $91,000;
• Evangel, five paintings, $59,000;
• Drury, six paintings, $42,900; and
• OTC, four paintings, $40,200.

Springfield organizations received a total 36 paintings worth a combined $410,900, according to the release.

"These gifts of art will bring to Springfield and Missouri several paintings which will enhance our art community," said Sam Hamra, who presented the donations this morning at the Hamra Plaza office building, 1855 S. Ingram Mill Road, in the release.

Outside Springfield, the University of Missouri is receiving seven paintings valued at a combined $111,500; the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., is receiving 10 paintings worth a combined $97,100; and Ohio Wesleyan University is receiving seven paintings valued at $92,500 combined.

Hamra founded Hamra Enterprises, a multidivision company that recorded $160 million in 2012 revenue with ventures including Wendy's of Missouri Inc., according to Springfield Business Journal archives.