To celebrate its 40 years of existence, the Palmer Museum of Art is showcasing pieces that have never been shown to the public before.
Celebrating Forty Years of Gifts: Works on Paper from the Permanent Collection, an exhibit, which will run through the fall semester until Jan. 20 at the Palmer Museum of Art, features works of art that have been donated throughout the museum’s 40 years.
The works are exclusively on paper, featuring sketches, drawings and some colored works.
Jan Muhlert, director of the Palmer Museum of Art, said the works on paper were selected “because they are rarely placed on view due to their sensitivity to light.”
The pieces must be rotated on and off view to protect them and “preserve [them] so they will be available for generations to come,” Muhlert said.
“We wanted to make as many works accessible to the public as possible during this important anniversary year and as a way to thank our many donors,” Muhlert wrote in an email.
Muhlert hopes the exhibit will introduce faculty, staff and students to the “riches” that the museum houses, she wrote. Muhlert added that hopefully those who attend the exhibit will use the collection as inspiration for their studies, or lesson plans.
Muhlert wants the public to “enjoy a sense of exploration,” taking in as many different subjects and styles that the exhibit has to offer.
Bret Turner said the fact that the works are only placed on display a few times “makes them cooler and more mysterious.”
Turner (sophomore-chemical engineering) also said the “modern art section is [his] favorite because it is weird and colorful.”
Others, like Andrea Mateer, said the works allow viewers to create their own interpretations.
“One of the pieces gave me the weird urge to flip it upside down,” Mateer (freshman- division of undergraduate studies) said.
Muhlert said the museum has grown from a small academic museum and has become a nationally recognized art museum.
The Palmer Museum of Art is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
