Champaign, Ill. (June 3, 2019) —Krannert Art Museum (KAM) at the University of Illinois announces a major reinstallation of its Modern and Contemporary art collection, titled Art Since 1948. Curator Amy L. Powell is collaborating with Toronto architect and exhibition designer Julia Di Castri on the project, which will involve construction in the Rosann Gelvin Noel gallery this summer.
The project will transform the visitor experience of 20th- and 21st-century art through an installation of art from the museum’s holdings, with strategic loans that lend breadth and depth to KAM’s nationally recognized collection. Art Since 1948 will open to visitors August 29.
In preparation for this installation, several main floor special exhibition galleries will be closed from June 3 through mid-August. The East Gallery, Rosann Gelvin Noel Gallery, Light Court, West Gallery, and Encounters: The Arts of Africa will be affected by the construction.
Both the Peabody Drive main entrance and the Sixth Street Kinkead Pavilion entrance will remain open and accessible throughout the summer. All remaining galleries will be open as well, including the special exhibition Blue and White Ceramics: An Enduring Global Obsession and the newly opened All This Beauty and Color: Highlights from the WPA.
In addition, the Bow and Trees galleries, which house the museum’s European and American art collection have been reinstalled by Curator Maureen Warren. With new colors, casework, and a reimagined layout, these spaces provide a fresh look at long-held works of art. On the lower level, the museum’s notable collection of Ancient Andean art, Ancient Mediterranean art, and decorative arts will remain open to visitors.
KAM Announces Summer Workshops and Activities for All Ages
Summer programming includes two creativity workshops with local artist Kelly Hieronymus. On June 27, KAM will host “Drawing on Nature,” an interactive workshop in the museum gardens. Visitors are invited to bring art supplies and spend time observing in the gardens and making art from what they see.
On July 25, Hieronymus will lead a workshop in the Contemporary gallery on “Patterns and Forms.” Attendees will spend time thinking about the ways patterns and organic forms play a role in the art we see and the art we create. Visitors will explore Blue and White Ceramics and the European and American art collection, then create new work from the patterns they see. Both creativity workshops will take place from 3 to 4:30 pm.
KAM is also debuting new programs for families this summer. At each entrance, families with children can pick up Family Art Cards with gallery activities to bring fun and learning into their museum visits.
And the Giertz Education Center on the lower level has moved to a larger, more open space with easy access for all visitors. The KAM Education team has transformed the Education Center into an interactive gallery where visitors of all ages can engage with the museum’s collection of touchable art, exploring textures, shapes, patterns, and art from around the world. Visitors can even mix and match objects to create their own museum displays in the Education Center.
About Krannert Art Museum
Krannert Art Museum (https://kam.illinois.edu) promotes a vibrant exchange of ideas in the visual arts, connecting people with art at the University of Illinois since 1961. The museum’s rich collection contains more than 10,000 works of art dating from the fourth millennium BCE to the present. Operating within the College of Fine + Applied Arts (https://faa.illinois.edu) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (https://illinois.edu), the museum is located at the corner of Sixth St. and Peabody Dr. in Champaign, Ill. Admission is always free. Complete information on events, exhibitions, location and hours is available via the museum website.
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