DePaul's New Art Museum

Faculty and staff invited to preview new Art Museum

Faculty and staff are invited to the May 23 sneak peek of the DePaul Art Museum’s new $7.8 million home at 935 W. Fullerton Ave., just east of the CTA’s Fullerton “L” stop. The open house will run from 4 to 6 p.m.

“The reception is an opportunity for faculty and staff to see the new building, but we hope it also will stimulate ideas for how the collection and exhibitions can be used in teaching and for programs and events that could be held in the space,” said museum director Louise Lincoln.

Attendees also will have the opportunity to vote on which of three artworks by contemporary Chicago artists the museum should acquire as part of its permanent collection. The choices are Dawoud Bey’s “Muhammad,” Angel Otero’s “Volar,” and Suellen Rocca’s “Dream Girl.”

The museum will open to the public in September 2011 with “Re: Chicago,” an exhibition that will re-examine the careers and artistic reputations of Chicago artists over more than a century. The exhibition will run from Sept. 17, 2011 to March 4, 2012.

At 15,200 square feet, the new three-story building more than doubles the space the museum previously occupied at the Richardson Library and includes space for class use, programs and events. The building’s mechanical systems are tailored to provide appropriate conditions for the care of artwork. A second-floor bay window facing the Fullerton “L” station will allow the museum to “communicate” with commuters through messages and artwork.

DePaul has applied for LEED silver certification for the building based on its energy-efficient features, such as its partial green roof; reflective roof coatings; proximity to public transportation; water-efficient landscaping; stormwater system design; and energy-efficient heating, cooling and ventilation.

Construction of the new art museum reflects DePaul’s broad commitment to the arts and parallels the university’s Performing Arts Campaign, which aims to improve the physical space for theatre and music education and performance.

“For our students and our community, direct access to the arts is an essential component of education,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president. “Our new facilities for theatre and music will offer audiences an opportunity to see tomorrow’s performers in the making, and the new museum will let visitors, art and artists interact in novel ways. Art encourages the exploration of ideas in visual form and encourages new ways of thinking. That’s what a university is all about.”

Find more information about the program or museum here or call (773) 325-7506.
Newsline, May 16, 2011

NOTE: The DePaul Emeritus Society will be provided a private tour of the New Art Museum following our Fall DES Luncheon on October 21, 2011.