Bethany Park
bethany@newsroom.byu.edu
The BYU Museum of Art, developed seven years ago, is the largest art museum in the state.
The museum is 100,000 square feet stretched across four floors and contains a collection of 16,000 works of art, said Cheryll May, public programs coordinator for the Museum of Art.
'The majority of our collection specializes in American art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, but we have a small but very good Asian collection along with some Rembrandt pieces,' May said.
Exhibits, such as the current Dixon/Lange show, start as an individual's idea. Research is done to find whether or not the resources are available, if the museum has the ability to and funds to put the show together, and if it will be well excepted by audiences,' said Diana Turnbow, assistant curator for the BYU Museum of Art.
'Many people at the museum were disappointed with the visitation received for the Mohonri Young show. There are some beautiful pieces and it's organized by theme rather than by chronology, which makes the show very interesting visually,' Turnbow said.
After a show is well researched, it is presented to a committee made up of senior staff members that meet three times a month. The exhibit proposals are argued and decisions are made on which will be pursued, May said.
'We have many audiences to please, but one of our primary purposes is to provide educational resources for BYU students,' May said.
'A museum is built on its community,' Turnbow said.
The Museum of Art has a suggestion and comment box and every single comment is read, Holly Chase, assistant registrar for the Museum of Art said.
'All of the suggestions are typed up and passed through the staff so that everyone knows what needs to be improved. Most of the comments are good though,' Chase said.
Past exhibits that were well received were the Masada and Dead Sea Scrolls in 1997, the Etruschans exhibit in 1995 of pre-Roman society and the Imperial Tombs of China in 1995, May said.
Curators are always looking for ideas and many museums are interested in sharing works with other museums, Turnbow said.
In January 2002, during the Olympics, the Museum of Art is working with the Smithsonian American Museum of Art to present a spectacular show of the American West from the 19th century with large canvases of the Grande Canyon, Yellowstone and others, May said.
The museum is also expanding their collection to include photography. Most of the photography will be contemporary, which will bring new energy to the museum, Turnbow said.
'Photography is a wonderful medium of art because there is so much expression,' Turnbow said.