GRANVILLE -- This summer the Denison Gallery officially became a museum to acknowledge its large permanent collections. The Denison Museum holds over 7,000 objects which come from multiple areas of the world, but primarily derive from Asia, Europe, and North, Central, and South America. The Burmese and the Central American Kuna Mola collections are the most significant and are internationally recognized. The print and drawing collection is also extensive, comprising almost 2,000 pieces ranging in date from the 15th though the 20th centuries.

Overlooking Denison's Fine Arts Quad located on the college's Lower Campus, Burke Hall of Music and Art houses the newly named Denison Museum.

Many changes are being put in place to bring exhibitions, operations, and programs in line with established museum standards. The new exhibition program will include shows drawn from the Denison and other museum collections, touring exhibitions, and contemporary art shows. The 2006-2007 academic year shows will include Perceiving Place (Sept. 10 to Dec. 10, 2006),The Art of Science(Jan. 27 to March 18, 2007), and the senior art students' annual exhibition (April 8 to May 13, 2007).

Accompanying the exhibitions will be an extensive program of lectures and museum tours by faculty and students, artists' workshops, films co-sponsored with the Cinema Department, and other events. These will link the museum with other departments on campus, broadening the museum's appeal and improving its educational and entertainment potential.

An exhibition space in the museum also has been transformed into a permanent collections learning lab. The lab serves as a space for staff, students, and contract professionals to carry out collections projects, such as rehousing objects, cataloging, photography, and conservation. It also functions as an educational space where staff can teach workshops, give lectures to visiting classes, and interact with visitors. The lab is equipped with mobile tables, workstations, shelving systems, a small photography studio, and a temporary exhibition case. Labels and a video of exhibition planning and conservation and preservation of objects will be installed so that visitors will get a sense of the broad range of museum work.

Storage for the collection underwent further renovations this summer. The objects have been reorganized and rehoused. New shelving accommodates the over-sized boxes holding the large textile collection. A new security system has been installed, and it is hoped that funding for a fire-suppression system will be found. These improvements will enable the museum to preserve its collection better and to borrow objects from other museums and institutions, enhancing the quality of its exhibitions.

Because of these changes, access to the Denison collection will be easier for everybody -- Denison students and local, national, and international communities. The goal of all these improvements is to become a nationally accredited museum with connections to other institutions, such as the Smithsonian.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575