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Art of thanks: Grateful immigrants donate $1.5M Chinese collection to UW’s Chazen

To immigrants Simon and Rosemary Chen, donating their $1.5 million collection of modern Chinese art to the University of Wisconsin’s Chazen Museum seemed a simple act of loyalty, fairness and gratitude.

“We like America, and we like Madison,” says Simon, a UW alumnus and successful entrepreneur who is 83 and about to retire in the coming weeks. “We got everything here, our education and our kids. We immigrated, and we want to be a part of the USA.”