Treasure need not be buried away on deserted islands or in bank vaults. Sometimes it hangs on walls or stands in the foyer. It is called art and it can be found at the Faculty Club.When you enter the front door of the building, you are greeted by beauty carved in white marble: Isolde. According to legend, Isolde was a spirited Irish princess who, en route to her wedding, fell in love with the sea captain responsible for her transport. This sculpture was done by Erwin F. Frey, a renowned artist early in the 20th century. Henry Hunker, a professor emeritus and Faculty Club board member, rescued Isolde and 38 other Frey sculptures from accumulating dust in a Cleveland auction house.”The gallery wasn’t really showing these particularly well,” said Hunker. “We talked to people in charge of the (Frey) estate and one of them was a relatively young man who was a son of a former faculty person. He was interested in the possibility of bringing the Frey sculptures to the Faculty Club. The gallery in Cleveland was very agreeable because they weren’t selling anything, except to me.”In March of 1996, the Frey collection was brought to the Faculty Club and placed on sale. The club reduced prices of the sculptures and gave the estate a higher percentage of profits than commercial galleries. Frey’s works then sold. Because of her size and price, however, Isolde took longer to sell. When she finally did sell, her purchaser decided to let her grace the Faculty Club for an indefinite period. “You don’t move sculptures around too much,” said Hunker.According to Hunker, Isolde’s purchaser wishes to remain anonymous.Another two of Frey’s works are right here in Columbus. “Christ After the Resurrection” sits in Franklin Commons Park. A more familiar sculpture is right here on campus. “William Oxley Thompson” stands in front of the Main Library facing the Oval.Yet another prominent artist’s work on display is that of James Roy Hopkins. An Ohio State student in 1896, Hopkins was initially an electrical engineering student. His passion, however, was art and he wisely followed his heart and enrolled in the Columbus Art School. Hopkins’ ardent devotion toward his craft led him to Paris where he met his wife, Edna Boies, also an artist. At the outbreak of World War I, Hopkins returned from Europe and was appointed chairman of the Art Department in 1923 until his retirement in 1947. Hopkins Hall has been named in his honor. The Faculty Club has six of his oil paintings. Two of the three which are on display are located in the first floor dining area, the third is hanging in the lower level. Of the three, two are believed to be of Hopkins’ wife, Edna.The club’s pride and joy, however, is not on public display. In a room with drawn shades and subdued lighting, “Central Park” sits under protective glass. This painting, done in 1925, is an oil on canvas by famed artist George Wesley Bellows. Because of a coating of varnish applied over the painting, it is extremely sensitive to light. According to Nannette Maciejunes, senior curator at the Columbus Museum of Art, applying varnishing to paintings was a common practice among artists.A native of Columbus, Bellows attended OSU from 1901-1904. Like Hopkins, Bellows pursued art and left Ohio State before graduating. Moving to New York City, Bellows studied under Robert Henri at the New York School of Art in what came to be known as the “Ashcan School.” “The Ashcan School artists were early 20th century artists that made their mark by extraordinary realism,” said Maciejunes.”It captured that spirit associated with the era of Teddy Roosevelt and America’s great confidence in itself,” said Maciejunes. “They are celebratory in the sense that they are very confident images about America and about urban life in America. They are also very realistic images.””When George Bellows came of age, American Impressionism was the reigning art style,” said Maciejunes. “American Impressionists tended to paint really beautiful rural pastoral visions. Even when they painted the city, it became this sort of beautiful celebration of color.” In contrast, the Ashcan students were sent out into the streets to “really take a look at the new sort of energy and burgeoning strength of American cities,” Maciejunes said. “Henri sent Bellows out to wander the streets of New York to capture the spirit and vitality of that city.” Consequently, Bellows painted scenes such as “Stag at Sharkey’s” that has since been used on a postage stamp.On May 25, 2000, Bellows’ “Summer Fantasy” sold at Christie’s Auction House for $292,000. In 1999, another work by Bellows sold for $27 million.The art at the Faculty Club has an Ohio State connection. This rings true about past, present and future shows.”We look for work from faculty, staff and alumni,” said Marion Fisher, art coordinator for the club. “There must always be an OSU tie.”The Faculty Club is much more than a haven for professors, staff and former students. It is a repository of art history, as well as a showplace for present and future talents.Down the hall from Isolde is where one will find part of the club’s current showing of alumnus George W. Acock’s paintings. The remaining portion of these paintings are on display in a well-lighted lounge. These watercolor paintings of buildings and landscapes will be on display and for sale until Sept. 2, with the proceeds going to the Autin E. Knowlton School of Architecture.