The University Art Museum will close this summer to undergo a series of renovations. The changes will modernize the facility and help fulfill the American Association of Museums’ accreditation requirements.
Curator of Exhibitions Andrea Douglas said various improvements will be made to the art museum building, including an object study gallery, an expanded print study gallery and better lighting and exhibition designs.
The object study gallery and the print study gallery will be available for persons performing research, Douglas said. She noted that the additional lighting and new exhibition designs will “show off that the building is a tour de force in design.”
The museum currently faces many issues when it comes to climate control, particularly on hot, humid days, as hot temperatures affect the condition of the art. Therefore, the renovated museum also will feature modern climate controls, which will help stabilize the building’s climate and create an ideal environment for the pieces on display.
Beth Turner, the University’s vice provost for the arts, added that the issues being addressed through the upcoming renovations impact the ability of the museum to acquire pieces of artwork for display. In this regard, the renovations could enhance the University’s ability to bring more important or widely known artworks to Grounds.
“The museum space needs to be able to command loans from other museums and private lenders worldwide,” Turner said. “We are a world-class university and we need to think globally and bring objects from all over the world.”
Turner also said the renovations are part of an effort by the museum to fulfill its re-accreditation program. Though the museum already has received accreditation from the American Association of Museums in the past, Turner said the renovations will show that the museum has an adequate facility and can sustain its own program. Re-accreditation is also important for the museum’s future, as it will allow the museum to obtain more artistic loans, Turner said.
The University’s Facilities Management department will oversee the renovations, Douglas said. The museum will close April 24 and will reopen in September for an exhibit featuring Thomas Jefferson’s original drawing of the Academical Village.
“I just want everybody to be excited about this happening because it will be a wonderful place to be,” Turner said. “We want it to be a place that people can’t wait to see what’s going there.”
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