Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art celebrates 75 Years of creativity, imagination, innovation and inspiration

EUGENE -- (April 22, 2008) -- The University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art celebrates 75 years of being a community cultural resource. The 12-month celebration, featuring specially programmed exhibitions, activities and events, spans from June 15, 2008, to June 14, 2009.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, in Eugene, Oregon, on the University of Oregon campus, is a premier Pacific Northwest visual arts center for exhibitions and collections of historic and contemporary art. The museum features significant collections galleries devoted to art from China, Japan, Korea, America and elsewhere, as well as changing exhibition galleries. The museum continues a 75-year tradition of bridging international cultures and offering a welcoming destination for discovery and education centered on artistic expression that deepens the appreciation and understanding of the human experience. The museum engages diverse communities through innovative, interpretive programs in a museum within a major university setting. It is one of six museums in the state of Oregon accredited by American Association of Museums .

The University of Oregon's art museum opened its doors to the public on June 11, 1932, with the official public opening held on June 10, 1933. Designed by Ellis F. Lawrence, UO dean of Architecture & Allied Arts, the museum was built to house the Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Art -- more than 3,000 works of art given to the University of Oregon by Gertrude Bass Warner.

The Warner Collection was bequeathed to the university in 1921 as a memorial to her late husband, Murray Warner. The original collection primarily represented the cultures of China and Japan. Also included were works from Korea, Mongolia, Cambodia and Russia, as well as American and British pieces that demonstrated an Asian influence. The museum underwent a significant expansion, reopening in January 2005 with expanded galleries, public spaces and support facilities. The JSMA collection currently holds over 13,000 art objects.

The 2008-09 Exhibitions
"Faster, Higher, Farther: The History of Track and Field," June 14 through September 1, 2008. The artistry of track and field and the sculpture of the human body combine with the art of photography. View the speed, power and endurance of Olympic athletes past and present in a stunning display by some of the world's most notable photographers including Annie Leibovitz, David Burnett and Dilip Mehta.

"Edward Burtynsky: The China Series," June 26 through September 7, 2008. "Edward Burtynsky: The China Series" features twenty, large scale photographs depicting the social and physical change taking place in the new pro-capitalist China. These photographs, which average 4 feet by 5 feet, document the grand scale of commerce in which China is now investing.

"The Thinking Body," June 26 through September 7, 2008. "The Thinking Body," a contemporary metalwork show, examines new ways of understanding how the body and mind relate to the world around it. Featuring jewelry, functional items and constructed spaces, "The Thinking Body," interprets the familiar in innovative and wonderfully surprising ways.

The opening reception for all three exhibitions listed above is June 25, 2008, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

"Cuba Avant-Garde," October 4, 2008 through January 4, 2009. "Cuba Avant-Garde: Contemporary Art from The Farber Collection", making its West Coast premiere at the JSMA, dramatizes the extraordinary production and innovation of Cuban artists over the past century. It represents a variety of styles and media including painting and photography. The exhibit captures a wide range of experiences and points of view, reflecting the rich and complex experiences and expressions of artists who share a common love for Cuba.

The opening reception for "Cuba Avant-Garde" is October 3, 2008, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

"Looking Forward/Looking Back," January 24 through April 12, 2009. "Looking Forward/Looking Back" draws heavily from the extensive collection of the JSMA highlighting many of the outstanding pieces and will include recent and new acquisitions. Over the course of 75 years the collection has grown significantly. This important anniversary exhibition focuses on the individuals who helped form the core of the collection in the past and celebrates the new generation of supporters who are shaping its future.

The opening reception for "Looking Forward/Looking Back" is January 23, 2009, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

"MFA 2009 Exhibition," May 2 through June 14, 2009. The annual Master of Fine Arts (MFA) graduate exhibition is the culminating event, constituting the equivalent of a master's thesis, for art students who have completed the graduate program and are candidates of the Master of Fine Arts degree. The exhibition is jointly presented by the Department of Art, UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

The opening reception for "MFA 2009 Exhibition" is May 1, 2009, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

History
The mission to construct an art museum on the University of Oregon campus was initiated by Prince Lucien Campbell, president of the university from 1902 to 1925, and Lawrence, dean of the School of Architecture from 1914 to 1946, in response to a bequest of 3,000 pieces of art to the University of Oregon from Gertrude Bass Warner. Campbell believed that a university has the major responsibility of becoming a center for culture for the region it serves.

The Museum of Art was dedicated on June 11, 1932 with the official public opening held on June 10, 1933.

With its elegant exterior brickwork, decorative moldings and iron grillwork, as well as the peaceful Prince Lucien Campbell Memorial Courtyard, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art building remains one of the most distinctive architectural structures in Oregon and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places.

Throughout the years, however, space needs increased exponentially as the museum's collection grew to include more than 13,000 works with an average of 45,000 annual visitors. The building also needed improvement in collections storage, climate control and staff workspaces. The building no longer kept pace with modern museum practices or provided a safe environment for the art collection.

Increasingly aware of these challenges, university leaders joined with museum board members and administrators to launch the Museum Campaign for the renovation and expansion of the museum. The UO art museum broke ground on its long awaited renovation and expansion project in October 2002 and reopened in January 2005 as the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. The JSMA has significantly expanded gallery space allowing the JSMA to feature American, European, Korean, Chinese and Japanese art and to host concurrent temporary exhibitions. The museum's environmental control technologies were brought up to date and has much enhanced storage and preparation spaces. Educational facilities in the renovated building include a hands-on interactive discovery gallery, art-making studio and lecture hall. The museum now also contains a café, museum store, and special events spaces for indoor and outdoor public events. The JSMA is one of six accredited museums in the state of Oregon.

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and high school students. Free admission is given to ages 13 and under, JSMA members, college students with ID, and University of Oregon faculty, staff and students. For information, contact the JSMA, 541-346-3027.

About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of 62 of the leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. Membership in the AAU is by invitation only. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: Debbie Williamson-Smith, 541-346-0942, debbiews@uoregon.edu
Erick Hoffman, 541-346-3162, erickh@uoregon.edu

Link: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, jsma.uoregon.edu

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