Mizzou’s hidden treasure
The Museum of Art and Archaeology celebrates 50 years
On the outside, Pickard Hall looks like any of the stately red brick buildings on Mizzou’s Francis Quadrangle. But stroll inside on any given day and you might find an exhibit of George Caleb Bingham paintings, a newly acquired Diego Rivera print, an artistic exhibition delving into death or a gallery full of rare casts from Greece and Rome. (See slideshow below.)
All these treasures exist because of the Museum of Art and Archaeology, which celebrates 50 years of existence in 2007. In 1957, Mizzou faculty members Saul and Gladys Weinberg opened the museum in its most recent incarnation, and it has grown from there, says Director Alex Barker.
Now, it’s the only museum in central Missouri accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), and it receives more than 25,000 visitors each year for exhibitions. It also offers a blog and online exhibitions; educational and community outreach programs, including docent tours and a film series; and podcasts and audiotours coming in the next year.
Mizzou’s museum doesn’t simply exhibit art, though. Staff members perform research, too, including National Science Foundation-funded fieldwork excavating Bronze Age sites in Romania. They also work with academic units around campus to put together exhibits that offer new takes on old subjects such as death and the afterlife and what clothes say about a culture.
“It goes back to our fundamental mission,” Barker says. “We’re not just here to repackage knowledge. We want to add to it.”
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Slide 1: Cast Gallery (circa 1895)
The first incarnation of the Cast Gallery (circa 1895), a predecessor to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, existed in Jesse Hall. John Pickard, professor of classical archaeology and art history, traveled through Europe and chose plaster casts of sculptures, mainly Greek and Roman. Casts are not often made anymore because of the harm they can do to original works, so this is an important academic resource. Images courtesy of the Museum of Art and Archaeology.
Slide 2: Relief plaque of Saul and Gladys Weinberg, by Sabra Tull Meyer
The founders of the Museum of Art and Archaeology, Saul and Gladys Weinberg, are depicted in this relief plaque by Sabra Tull Meyer. Both were Mizzou faculty members. Museum Director Alex Barker says the Weinbergs had a broad vision of incorporating varied works to trace the development of art from ancient to modern times.
Slide 3: David with the Head of Goliath, by Giovanni Batista Caracciolo
This painting — David with the Head of Goliath, by Giovanni Batista Caracciolo — complements the museum’s Samuel H. Kress Study Collection of Renaissance Paintings. This collection came to the museum in 1961 and greatly expanded the scope of its collections. This painting came to the museum in 1969.
Slide 4: Portrait of the Emperor Hadrian as the hero Diomedes
Part of the museum’s collection of classical work, this bust of Emperor Hadrian comes from Rome, circa 136–138 C.E., and depicts the emperor symbolically represented as the Greek hero Diomedes.
Slide 5: Portrait of a Musician, by Thomas Hart Benton
The Museum of Art and Archaeology doesn’t simply stick with the classics; it incorporates more recent visual art, too. One example is the 1949 painting Portrait of a Musician, by Missouri-born artist Thomas Hart Benton, a painter associated with the American Regionalist movement.
Slide 6: Frutas des Campos, by Diego Rivera
The museum’s collection continues to grow, as shown by the 2006 acquisition of this work by Mexican master Diego Rivera, Frutas des Campos (sic), from 1932. In addition to mural painting, Rivera produced lithograph prints such as this.
Slide 7: Lime Persian Single with Vermilion Lip Wrap, by Dale Chihuly
Contemporary works by living artists, such as renowned American artist Dale Chihuly, are featured in the museum's Barton Gallery. This is Chihuly's Lime Persian Single with Vermilion Lip Wrap.
Slide 8: Anten-nalope, by Nam June Paik
The museum also features object-based and multimedia art, such as this modern piece by Korean artist Nam June Paik, Anten-nalope, from 1996. The piece is a part of a series of animal sculptures Paik created in the 1990s.
Slide 9: Pieces from the Dressing the Part exhibit
As part of its academic mission, says Director Alex Barker, the museum often teams with academic departments on campus to create exhibits. In the case of Dressing the Part, the museum worked with the Department of Textile and Apparel Management and its Historic Costume Collection to create an exhibit highlighting the role of clothing in various cultures through history.
Slide 10: Burger King uniform from Dressing the Part exhibit
This piece from the Dressing the Part exhibit shows the idea of individualism within a not-so-individualistic setting. The owner of this Burger King uniform had hemmed it to be shorter than the norm. “You can put people in uniforms,” says costume collection curator Laurel Wilson, “but they don’t necessarily wear them in uniform ways.” Photo by Adam Masloski.
Slide 11: The Nodding Renealmia, by James Caldwall and Peter Henderson
Another series of exhibits, Art of the Book I and II, examined illustration from books through history — from books on naturalism to illustrations from novels. This piece, The Nodding Renealmia, by James Caldwall and Peter Henderson, comes from The Temple of Flora, published by Robert Thornton between 1799 and 1807.
Slide 12: The Card Game of Death, by Giuseppe Erts
The exhibit Final Farewell: The Culture of Death and the Afterlife runs at the museum through May 20 and deals with how the art of various cultures has reflected and shaped attitudes toward death. The exhibit includes this 1663 painting, The Card Game of Death, attributed to artist Giuseppe Erts.
Slide 13: Portrait of Thomas Withers Nelson, by George Caleb Bingham
In another partnership with an academic unit, starting June 9 the museum (celebrating a 50th anniversary) is partnering with the College of Arts and Science (celebrating a 100th anniversary) for an exhibit featuring the work of George Caleb Bingham, including this piece, Portrait of Thomas Withers Nelson, circa 1844–45. Appropriately, the University featured one of the most complete exhibitions of Bingham’s work back in April 1910.
