College And University Art Museums And Collections

Author : Nancy May Wylie
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 490 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (993 download)

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Download or read book Sacramento State's Art Department Collection written by Nancy May Wylie and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 490 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: California State University, Sacramento (CSUS or Sacramento State) has in its possession a diverse corpus of art object collections. The actual number of the entirety of the University’s art objects has not been determined as they are under the stewardship of several departments and are stored in various locations throughout the campus, such as Art, Anthropology, the University Library, the University Library Special Collection, the University Union and more. There have been concerted efforts in the past to bring the art collections together to determine the University’s holdings and create a University-wide policy for the acquisition, collection management, care, and security of the art collections. However, a consensus on caretaking methods and writing a University-wide policy has not come to fruition. Maintaining the Art Department’s Collection (ADC) has had challenges, even within a single department, resulting in the division of the storage and management of the art objects. The disjointed nature of the CSUS art objects storage and handling; the absence of a professional collection management program with skilled staff; inefficient record systems; loss of and damage to valuable objects; inadequate environmental conditions of storage and exhibition space do not support the preservation needs of the art objects. Ultimately, the reputation of the University as a trustworthy steward of these valuable assets has been compromised. The challenge is to create and establish platforms and methods that provide access to the ADC for instruction, resources, and education, despite limited resources and accessibility. My research for this Master’s Project commenced with reading and reviewing publications on subjects that related to the benefits and challenges of university and college art museums, galleries, and collections. The research provided insight into the benefits and challenges for universities and colleges in regard to having art collections for student, faculty, staff and public to utilize for research, observation, and educational purposes. Two previous CSUS Master’s Projects are referenced in this document that illustrates study and work that was completed regarding the University Art Collections preceding my project. The projects were completed by Camille T. Kondratieff and Susan M. Sinclair in 1994, and by Jennifer Grossfeld in 2013. I researched a different subject of publications in regard to developing a website for the Art Department’s Collection. Pertinent to my project of developing a website, I discovered comprehensive information on the subject of digital data and the importance of establishing a cohesive system by following established standards. My research revealed how the effective use of digital data and metadata is of primary importance for developing the website structure and coding to connect users and information. I drew upon my experience in the development and creation of websites and graphic communications to round out my academic research findings. I was employed as a website developer by CSUS Student Affairs Division for seven years, which provided me with personal knowledge and expertise working with the Universities Web Content Management (WCM) system for building websites. The WCM is the system that I used to develop and create the Art Department Art Collection website. I have been actively involved with the ADC for several years. Beginning as an undergraduate Art History major I assisted in building an initial listing of the art objects in the collection in 2003. As a graduate student, my entire Special Major Master’s program of study has been built around and attributed to various activities involving the collection. I served on the University-wide Collections Advisory Committee that was formed in June, 2012 with campus and community art and collection management professionals. Although the committee is now defunct, it was an excellent forum for connecting with representatives for various collections on campus and in the community. The Collections Advisory Committee included: Elaine O’Brien, Professor of Modern & Contemporary Art & Theory; Professor Phil Hitchcock, Director of the University Library Gallery; Professor Terri Castaneda, Director of the University Anthropology Museum; Sheila O’Neill, Head, University Library Department of Special Collections and University Archives; graduate students Jennifer Grossfeld and myself. Additionally, community art professionals – Diana Daniels, Crocker Art Museum; Beth Jones and Lynda Jolley, owners of the Jay-Jay Gallery, Sacramento; and Tom Thompson, Art Restoration Professional – added professional support and advice. Sequential Art Department Chairs, Professor Dan Frye, and Professor Catherine Turrill, Nancy Tooker, Emeritus Associate Dean of the School of the Arts; Leslie Rivers, Assistant to the Director of the University Library Gallery; and Kevin Ptak, Art Department Instructional Assistant, all made essential contributions. I co-curated two exhibitions: Lost & Found: Selection from the Sacramento State Art Collection, August/September 2012 in the Robert Else Gallery. In addition to selecting art objects for display, I videotaped the panel discussion, September 13, 2012, that was held in conjunction with the exhibition regarding the history of the collection as discussed by prior Art Department Chairs: Art Department Chair Dan Frye (Chair 2007 – 2013) and five former Art Department chairs: Emeriti Professors Irving Marcus (Chair 1966 – 1970), Allan Gordon (Chair 1970 – 1976, 1985 – 1988), and Lita Whitesel (Chair 1991 – 1995); and Professors Phil Hitchcock (Chair 1976 – 1985) and Catherine Turrill (Chair 2001 – 2007, 2013 – 2016). I transcribed the panel discussion for use in this project and to preserve the event for historical purposes. (Appendix A) The second exhibit was Treasures Revealed: Art from the Sacramento State Collection, August/ September 2015, in the CSUS University Union Gallery. This exhibit was a cross-departmental collaboration that featured art objects from the Anthropology Museum, Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection, Library Special Collections, Library Gallery Collection, ADC and the University Union Collection. The exhibition highlighted the wide range of valuable art objects located in different departments throughout the University. Working with CSUS students during the spring 2016 semester, I was the lead curator for Ink on Paper - Creating an Artistic Expression: Works on Paper from the Sacramento State Art Collection, August/September 2016, in the CSUS University Union Gallery. The exhibition was a collaboration that created a unique educational experience for the participating students. The curation of the exhibit provided the opportunity to utilize the ADC as a teaching tool to inform and educate the audience on the print making process. The security and preservation of the ADC have been dependent upon the dedicated faculty, staff and students who have volunteered their support culminating in accomplishing meaningful and enduring collection management fundamentals to preserve, protect and promote the collection. At the Art Department level, there is currently support from the College of Arts & Letters Interim Dean Sheree Meyer and Interim Associate Dean, Christina Bellon, the Art Department Chair, Carolyn Gibbs, and Professor Elaine O’Brien. However, the historical challenges are ongoing regarding space to store the collection, lack of funding to support the collection and no professionally-trained staff persist as barriers hindering the formation of enduring strategies for the future care and preservation of the ADC. The challenge is to create and establish platforms and methods that provide access to the ADC for instruction and education, despite limited resources and accessibility. This challenge has been met in many ways and will need to continue to develop and expand a longstanding program to utilize the art collection.