Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Jordan Schnitzer explains
art sarcaphagus
art looking
art ribbon cutting
art death of buddha
Although located in the heart of the WSU campus, the new Jordan Schnitzer D. Museum of Art WSU provides a place to expand minds and encourage creative thinking for all of Whitman County and beyond.
Grand opening of the museum was Friday, April 6. The reception drew a standing-room-only crowd to the Crimson Cube, so nicknamed for its box build wrapped in reflective crimson glass. The largest public fine arts facility east of the Cascades, the building features six galleries free to the public.
“I was a lucky one that I grew up with art all around me,” said Schnitzer, whose $5 million donation helped take the university’s art gallery to a whole new level. Schnitzer told reporters before the grand opening that, as much joy as he gets from seeing art, he gets even more joy from sharing it. Much of the art at the museum comes from his collection.
That joy of seeing and sharing art can also be experienced by any group–school, club, senior center or otherwise–for free through the museum’s Buy A Bus program. Through the program, a school that takes a field trip to the facility can have the entire cost reimbursed. The buses are not supplied by the museum, but it will refund the costs associated for the group to make the trip.
“This museum has an obligation to reach out to every single school child,” Schnitzer said at the grand opening.
Schnitzer felt that art is a benefit to all students, regardless their major, as it can open people up to think about world issues and other views.
“Art is a catalyst,” said Anna-Maria Shannon, interim director. The exhibits were chosen as items that open up discussion between people. WSU President Kirk Schulz noted the unique design of the building itself had already spurred conversations.
Schulz said he sees the new building as a place families from all over could come to be exposed to modern art. A lot of people only know what art they see in school, at home or on the internet. At the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, they can see something new and possibly have their world view changed, just a little bit, he noted.
“Creative thinking is very important,” added Jim Olson, the architect whose own creative thinking designed the building.
With the Buy A Bus program, any school or group within a 100 mile radius can come dabble or be immersed in the creative thinking found at the museum. Schulz noted that many schools have had to back out of arts programs and the museum can help fill that void.
The museum has more than 3,800 works of art in its permanent collection which is supplemented by works from Schnitzer’s collection.
Jim Dine, who created the blue heart that has been a feature art piece at WSU for years, gifted 289 original prints, a handful of which are currently on display along with a selection from the 174 prints and photographs by Andy Warhol donated by the Warhol Foundation.
The current exhibits are expected to run through the summer. After that, new shows will rotate through every three to six months
For more information about the museum, check online museum.wsu.edu.
For more on the Buy A Bus program, with information to schedule tours and attain the reimbursement form contact museum.wsu.edu/education.
Paintings are reflected off the glass case of a sarcophagus piece, both from the Schnitzer’s collection.
What do you think? Patrons consider a work.
The ribbon is cut on the new Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU.
The Death of Buddha by Jeffry Mitchell invites fantasy and study.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
Reader Comments(0)