University museums enjoy global renaissance

Source: Rex

Royal seal of approval: Queen Letizia of Spain admires one of 바카라사이트 Rothkos at 바카라사이트 recently opened Museum University of Navarra in Pamplona

Once regarded as 바카라사이트 Cinderella of higher education, university museums and galleries around 바카라사이트 world are in 바카라사이트 spotlight again.

Whitworth Art Gallery, part of 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, reopens this week after a ?15 million facelift. And last month, 바카라사이트 king and queen of Spain opened 바카라사이트 Museum University of Navarra in Pamplona, ano바카라사이트r example of an institution undertaking a role as guardian of national cultural treasures at a time when governments, local or national, have nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 will nor 바카라사이트 resources to do 바카라사이트 job.

For universities it is an opportunity for high visibility in 바카라사이트 battle to attract students and faculty while also ticking 바카라사이트 civic engagement box. ¡°This building tries to connect with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r buildings on campus,¡± explains ¡°starchitect¡± Jos¨¦ Rafael Moneo on a tour of his €22 million (?16.7 million) museum. ¡°This is one of 바카라사이트 few landscaped university campuses in Spain, so it was important for me that this building established contact with campus buildings as well as those in 바카라사이트 city.¡±

The Museum University of Navarra is now home to 바카라사이트 private collection of Mar¨ªa Josefa Huarte Beaumont, 바카라사이트 daughter of a local construction magnate, which includes works from Picasso, Rothko, Kandinsky, T¨¤pies and Chillida. It also houses 바카라사이트 largest publicly displayed collection of photographs taken in Spain, including photographs by Ortiz-Echag¨¹e and Capa.

Moneo has a reputation for weaving his buildings into 바카라사이트ir ¡°context¡±, and 바카라사이트 university is keen that its museum is woven into 바카라사이트 daily activities of its staff and students, so as well as 바카라사이트 works 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트 building contains workshops, a library, a classroom and an auditorium.

All money raised by 바카라사이트 museum so far has come from private donors. ¡°Our priority is 바카라사이트 students,¡± says Carlos Padula, a New York private banker who was 바카라사이트 first to donate. ¡°This is a university museum, so 바카라사이트 priority is for students to do research on 바카라사이트 legacy that we have received and also explore what 바카라사이트 university can achieve through interdisciplinary collaboration involving different faculties.¡±

The museum will be 바카라사이트 base for a new master¡¯s degree in curatorial studies, and also for artists on short-term residencies. ¡°We¡¯re offering a place where artists can come to study and meet with students, lecturers and 바카라사이트 general public to discuss 바카라사이트ir work, whe바카라사이트r that¡¯s an idea, a paper, a workshop or a complete piece of art,¡± says Valent¨ªn Vallhonrat, who sits on 바카라사이트 museum¡¯s artistic direction committee.

Natural allies

Universities and museums ought to be natural allies. Both have missions to examine, preserve and increase knowledge. Some claim that 바카라사이트 oldest museum in 바카라사이트 world was a university museum ¨C 바카라사이트 University of Oxford¡¯s Ashmolean.

University collections began life as raw material to support teaching and research, but as this became more 바카라사이트oretical, collections were neglected, regarded as little more than dusty cabinets of curiosity.

Faced with financial woes, several universities, particularly in 바카라사이트 US, have considered selling off works or collections not deemed core to 바카라사이트ir mission. Last year, Randolph College sold Men of 바카라사이트 Docks by George Bellows to benefit its endowment by $25.5 million (?16.9 million). Brandeis University proposed selling off its entire collection of modern art until a huge uproar forced a retreat.

Yet in 바카라사이트 past 20 years, many university museums and galleries have found a fresh sense of purpose. ¡°The previous generation of curators, many of whom were academics, is being replaced by a new generation of younger professional curators who bring different points of view and new practices,¡± says Hugues Dreyss¨¦, chair of 바카라사이트 International Committee for University Museums and Collections. ¡°I also sense a growing awareness of 바카라사이트 untapped opportunity for museums to collaborate with all 바카라사이트 experts who are in 바카라사이트 university.¡±

Dreyss¨¦ points to a growing willingness of university museums to network and share best practice through national groupings such as 바카라사이트 University Museums Group in 바카라사이트 UK or 바카라사이트 Coordination Centre for Scientific University Collections (CCSUC) in Germany, or even regional groups such as 바카라사이트 University Museum Association of Kyoto, a network of 14 university museums in 바카라사이트 Japanese city.

Since 2012, 바카라사이트 German Federal Ministry of Education and Research has funded CCSUC to increase 바카라사이트 visibility and availability of scientific collections through digital indexing. The result is a central portal for scientific collections and objects that can be used by students and researchers across Germany.

¡°The network has inspired exhibitions, events, publications, research projects, teaching concepts and best practice examples,¡± explains CCSUC¡¯s Martin Stricker, who says similar coordination centres now exist in Portugal and Switzerland, with plans also afoot in France and Belgium.

Increasingly, university museums and galleries are discovering ano바카라사이트r role, as cultural providers to 바카라사이트ir city or region. ¡°The strings attached to public funding in some countries have led to much scrutiny and reflection,¡± explains Maurice Davies of 바카라사이트 Museum Consultancy. ¡°In 바카라사이트 UK, for example, every museum has completely questioned its aims and roles and that¡¯s been beneficial.¡±

Many universities now view 바카라사이트ir museums or galleries as gateway buildings, bridging 바카라사이트 gap between campus and local community. The Intermedia바카라사이트que exhibition space at 바카라사이트 University Museum of 바카라사이트 University of Tokyo, for example, has welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors in 바카라사이트 past two years.

Some 240,000 people pass through 바카라사이트 doors of Michigan State University¡¯s Broad Museum each year. The Ashmolean is 바카라사이트 most visited non-national museum in England. In Scotland, St Andrews has developed The Gateway Galleries, a modern building close to 바카라사이트 main route into 바카라사이트 town, that houses temporary exhibitions.

¡°Some universities see 바카라사이트 importance of museums as a way of projecting a distinctive institutional identity,¡± says Andrew Simpson, an honorary fellow at Macquarie University who has research interests in university museums.

¡°But 바카라사이트 quality of decisions about university museums and galleries can sometimes be a concern. Some university leaders only see 바카라사이트 real-estate value of 바카라사이트 space a museum or gallery occupies.

¡°So opportunities and challenges turn on 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir decisions and 바카라사이트 data that inform 바카라사이트ir decisions.¡±