'What's New Now?'

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Utah State University has received a major gift of 31 new works from the Kathryn C. Wanlass Foundation and Marie Eccles Caine Foundation. The new works are on display as part of the exhibition Uses of the Real, an exhibit that explores what constitutes art in today’s world.

 

Newly remodeled gallery spaces have also allowed the museum staff to bring out the collection in a way not experienced before. Walls have been knocked down and new fixtures have been installed to allow approximately 500 more objects to be put on display, including more than 100 photographs and 250 ceramic works usually stored away and inaccessible to the public.

 

“We hope the next time our visitors walk through the galleries they will be as delighted as we are because many of their favorite objects are now out of storage and available to enjoy,” said museum director Victoria Rowe Berry.

 

The newly installed exhibition of Uses of the Real includes many new contemporary artists who explore the themes of postmodernism and reality. Artists in the exhibition take objects from the everyday world and transform them into art. From vintage upholstery fabric to a sparkling skeleton or chunks of cement to discarded musical instruments, museum visitors can see a wide variety of images and ideas.

 

“These new works are exciting additions to our permanent collection because they highlight the relevance and wide range of important art we have here,” said Deb Banerjee, the art museum’s curator of programs and exhibitions. “Contemporary art can be challenging, but it is also lively and surprising. It can change ordinary objects into something extraordinary, creating an unexpected experience in many of our viewers. You can always travel to Los Angeles or San Francisco to see what is happening in the art world, or you can find it right here in Logan.”

 

Artists new to the museum include Manny Farber, Takako Yamaguchi, Don Suggs, Frances Celentano, Eric Orr, Michael McMillan, Michael Todd, William Wiley and M.A. Peers.

 

For more information or to schedule a tour of the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, call (435) 797-0165.

 

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art is on the USU campus at 650 North 1100 East, Logan, Utah, 84322, (435) 797-0163; fax (435) 797-3423. Information is also available at the museum’s Web site. The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays. Admission is free. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.

 

Parking for the museum is available in the Orange Lot west of the museum. The parking fee in this area is $5. Museum visitors who RSVP will receive free parking, and parking is free after 5 p.m. and on weekends. Two dedicated stalls in the Orange Lot are available for museum members. Call Rachel for reservations, (435) 797-1414. Parking is also available in the Big Blue Terrace, located near the Taggart Student Center, for $1.50/hour ($7.50/day maximum). Free parking after 5 p.m. is available at the Blue Lot, located at the corner of 700 North and 1200 East (by Aggie Ice Cream).

 

 

Writer: Casey T. Allen, 435- 797-0166, casey.allen@usu.edu