The University Art Museum will reopen Sep. 12 after a summer of renovations, which include improved lighting and high ceilings. Photo by: Iram Shaikh

The University Art Museum is scheduled to reopen for the public Sept. 12, after completing $2 million in renovations this summer.
“The additions to the museum will help satisfy the need to improve access to University collections and will make it possible to conduct classes in the galleries,” said Elizabeth Turner, vice provost for the arts.
Renovations included improved lighting which, Turner said, is very important in classical spaces to highlight the art. The museum now flaunts ceiling lights up to 22 feet high.
The new print room also boasts newly-installed floating ceilings and sophisticated diffused lighting, museum director Bruce Boucher said.
Also in the works is a remodeling project to convert an unused area into a terrace overlooking Carr’s Hill, as well as a new object study gallery, registration room and storage and meeting space, Boucher said.
The renovations modernize the old museum, while respecting its 1935 designing by Edmund S. Campbell, he noted.
An emphasis on accessibility to students is evidenced by the new object study room, which will hold a cross-section of about 12,000 objects and provide a learning space for research and classes.
The most significant change, however, is the new climate control system, Boucher said. Before this development, crowds at the museum could cause temperature spikes, which had the potential to negatively impact the art.
The positive effects of this upgrade already can be seen in the acquisition of “Painting of Thomas Jefferson” by artist Rembrandt Peale, which requires a climate-controlled room and is on loan from the New York Historical Society.
The painting will be “the star of the show”, said Turner, referring to the Academical Village exhibit, one of three shows currently scheduled. Other pieces in the show include original drawings of the University, paintings of the first Board of Visitors and stories about the workers who built the school’s most historical buildings.
Visitors also will see a 15-minute short film about the Rotunda, featuring photographs taken of the Lawn in the past set to music composed by Judith Shatin of the music department.
The museum is not simply limited to showcasing the University’s history, however, as officials are now in talks with the Italian government to acquire a work from that country, Turner said.
“The renovation is not the end of the story, it is only the beginning in our quest to be a new model for a teaching museum,” Turner said.