With the recession only getting worse, many universities across the country are auctioning off parts of their art collections in order to supplement their dwindling endowments. Brandeis University, earlier this year, even went as far as shutting down its Rose Art Museum, which used to house its 6,000-piece collection of American contemporary art. As many art departments are forced to reevaluate their priorities, perhaps it is time for Binghamton’s University Art Museum to do the same and to make the necessary changes in order to keep itself relevant — something which it currently fails to do.
Walking into the museum is a menacing experience, at least in my opinion. The art is often cold and impersonal rather than curiously inviting. You also get a feeling that the museum, to its detriment, is trying too hard to be objective when it should be constantly experimenting and reinventing itself.
Currently on display is the “Celebrating Women in the Arts” exhibition, which fails to exude a sense of liberation and empowerment. Most of the drawings are too small to have any real impact on the viewer, and since all of the works are framed behind a layer of protective glass, the collection has an uncomfortable uniformity to it that does not exactly match the theme of the exhibit or the content of the pieces. One drawing features an abstract figure of nude women, a supposedly powerful and striking image. Under its gold-rimmed glass frame, it seems as if the nude women are being held captive.
It is no surprise that the gallery has few visitors and fails to attract the attention of students. The curators should really, really consider giving more exposure to student or local artists and focusing their efforts on them rather than their permanent collection. It does not make sense to simply depend on the permanent collection, especially since it lacks the pedigree and big name of collections of private universities. Instead, the University should tap into the talents of the student body.
Showcasing art from studio classes might be a good start; however, that can get boring after a while, too. The best thing to do is to simply find one good artist, or a small group of them, and offer them the first floor of the gallery to do whatever their hearts desire. Instead of displaying pre-made art, the museum can have students make something just for them. In this way, the artist can fully take advantage of the space to create a thought-provoking exhibition.
In all of the exhibits so far this year, there has always been an unintentional clash between the gallery space and the art that is being displayed. By focusing on the imaginative vision of one person, the gallery space would automatically gain the cohesiveness that it is in desperate need of, and it would give the museum a much-needed breath of fresh air. With an accessible gallery space, the artists would also have the creative freedom to do large-scale installations and would not have to be unnecessarily confined to just painting and sculpture media.
Even better yet, the art department should consider turning the currently underutilized Elsie B. Rosefsky Memorial Art Gallery into a full-time student-run museum. The only thing the Memorial Art Gallery really needs is some partial walls and a group of willing student volunteers. From reading previous articles, there has apparently been some conflict between the University Art Museum and the student body. This would definitely be a good option if the art department wants to keep its permanent collection separate from student-created works.
The last suggestion that I am going to make regards the University Art Museum’s hours. The museum’s current closing time, 4 p.m., is extremely inconvenient for most students.
All in all, the University Art Museum is definitely not bad for a gallery that does not charge an admission fee; however, in this season of “change,” it would not be a bad idea to try something different. It may seem ridiculous for me to be writing about art amidst a recession, but remember, some of the best art was produced during great social strife. The University should really take the current slump as an open opportunity, especially as more money-strapped high school students are looking toward public schools as safe havens.
On such a beautiful weekend as this, I bet there are a lot of students in the mood to visit a good exhibit or opening show, and it really is a shame that the campus does not have a public and viable student art scene.