The NIU Art Museum has been a cultural touchstone in our community for almost 50 years. It has curated hundreds of thoughtful, enlightening, entertaining and beautiful exhibits. It has showcased the work of NIU art faculty, as well as artists from the United States and around the world.
For the past 20 years, the museum has been led by museum director Jo Burke and assistant director Peter Olson. Since 2004, it has enriched our community with 187 exhibits that were viewed by as many as 120,000 visitors. Many of the exhibits have been thoughtfully showcased with talks, performances, and museum bus trips.
I remember a few standouts. There was the stunning Japanese cherry blossom exhibit and taiko drumming performance, the gun exhibit and excellent lecture, and the art deco exhibit and followup bus trip to Detroit to explore deco treasures.
The museum has a thriving membership program with 160 donors. It owns and maintains 3,000 pieces of art. More than 150 NIU students have received museum experience as grad assistants, interns, and student workers.
In late June, donors received a surprise email from Paul Kassel, dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Due to budgetary concerns, the NIU Art Museum as we know it is closing and the staff will be gone. What a huge loss for our community.
I’m Deborah Booth and that’s my perspective.
