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LAWRENCE -- The Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas is marking the first 25 years with a public celebration from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, and a special exhibition of works of art acquired during the past quarter-century.
The Helen Foresman Spencer Museum of Art first opened its doors Jan. 17, 1978. A quarter-century later, the museum draws more than 100,000 visitors per year to exhibitions of art from around the globe and across time.
Before 1978, the university's art collection was displayed in Spooner Hall, originally the university's library. Recognizing the need for a larger structure for the exhibition, preservation and study of the art collection, Spencer, of Kansas City, gave $4.5 million to KU for a building to house the art museum, the Kress Foundation Department of Art History and a planned art library. At the time, her gift was the largest received by KU.
The monumental new neo-classical facility, built of Indiana limestone and granite and designed by Robert Jenks, cost $5 million to construct and furnish. It was dedicated Sept. 11, 1977, and opened the next January. Charles Eldredge, now Hall distinguished professor of American art and culture, was the university art museum director and oversaw the creation of the new facility and transfer of the collection. Janet Dreiling was named museum registrar in 1976, when the collection was still in Spooner Hall, and still serves in that capacity. The current director, Andrea S. Norris, joined the staff in 1988 and has the longest tenure of the nine people who have served as university art museum director at KU.
For the 25th year celebration, the CottonWood Winds will open the evening with chamber music in the Central Court. The group is led by Stuart Levine, who also played for the opening in 1978, which will be documented in a photo display. Visitors may enjoy gallery talks, prize drawings and refreshments throughout the evening. Norris and others will share reminiscences of the museum beginning around 7 p.m. Guests may enjoy cake and indie rock music by Lash Canino until 9 p.m.
The highlight of the evening will be the exhibition in the White Gallery. All past and present curators and directors were invited to choose favorite works acquired during their time at the Spencer. These selections and the curatorial reminiscences fill the White Gallery in an exhibition organized by Dreiling, registrar, and Carolyn Chinn Lewis, assistant director, who joined the staff as administrative assistant in May 1978. Many of the curators' and directors' choices are on permanent display throughout the museum; additional labels acknowledging their role in the collection's development have been added to the galleries. The exhibition remains up through March 30.
The core of the university art collection, 7,000 works of art donated in 1917 by Kansas City art collector Sallie Casey Thayer, was dedicated in 1928, so the Spencer Museum is celebrating both 25-year and 75-year anniversaries. The university art collection has grown, as Thayer envisioned, to contain works of art in all media from the United States, Europe and Asia; it now numbers nearly 22,000 objects.
"In celebrating the 25th anniversary," said Norris, "we pay tribute not to the building that has so ably housed our programs, but to the wonderful volunteers; KU students, faculty and alumni; donors; and especially staff members who have worked with great dedication to maintain and expand this important arts facility, the 'Treasure House on the Prairie,' as the early publicity announced.
"As the building fills up with art, classes, books and educational programs, we look forward to the next expansion of the building, which will make it possible for us to continue to fulfill the Spencer museum's mission."
Funding to expand the museum is one of the goals of KU First, the university's current fund-raising campaign. Plans call for doubling the museum's capacity and adding space for the Kress Department of Art History and the Murphy Library of Art and Architecture. For more information on KU First, visit www.kuendowment.org.
The museum is open noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. No admission fee is charged, but a $3 donation is suggested.
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