A Sketch of the New Harvard Art Museums

June 2014

a master of lig

ht

relationship with Carpenter Center a public piazza

transp r nt galleries

saving the fresco

cladding a contemporary building

protecting the art

architectural functions of the Win r Ga ns

the story of the glass roof

the question of architectural “style”

physical context

programmatic richnessa sustainable building

relocating th e Naumburg Room

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Table of Contents

3 An Invitation

6 Galleries CollectionsGalleries•SpecialExhibitionsGallery• UniversityGalleries•AdolphusBuschHall

8 TeachingandTours HarvardCurricularSupport•HarvardExtracurricularSupport•StudentGuideTours• GraduateStudentTeaching•TheMuseumProgram•In-FocusTalks

10 MultimediaGalleryMaterials:ACaseStudyApproach DrivingConcepts•Hotspots•Art+Science•MakingaMuseum:TheBusch-Reisinger• SchoolGroupExplorations•AnatomyoftheHarvardArtMuseums

12 ArtStudyCenter StudyDays•Up-CloseSeminars•HarvardInterdisciplinaryWorkshops

14 StrausCenterforConservationandTechnicalStudiesandtheCenterfortheTechnical StudyofModernArt Materials-BasedCourseSupport

15 NaumburgRoom HarvardCollegeHouseTeas•SpecialReceptions

15 HarvardArtMuseumsStudentBoard

16 LectureHallsandSeminarRoom HarvardFilmArchive•Lectures,ArtistTalks,andSymposia

16 LightboxGallery DigitalExperience•NewMedia

17 MaterialsLab(M/Lab) MaterialsRotation•VisitingArtistWorkshop

18 CalderwoodCourtyard Intersections•AM/PM•AnEngagedCommunity 19 SomervilleResearchFacility ArchaeologicalExplorationofSardis•CenterfortheTechnicalStudyofModernArt• HarvardArtMuseumsArchives•CollectionsWorkrooms

20 LookingAhead

Cover: Image by Waqas Jawaid, Harvard Graduate School of Design ’14. Jawaid created this image of the new facility while serving as a graduate intern in the Harvard Art Museums’ Division of Academic and Public Programs.

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WearedelightedtosharethissketchoftheHarvardArtMuseums,highlightingthenewspacesandplatformsforlearningandteachingaswellasforconductingoriginalresearchandpresentingnewscholarship.TherenovatedandexpandedfacilitywillbringtogethertheFoggMuseum,theBusch-ReisingerMuseum,andtheArthurM.SacklerMuseumunderoneroofforthefirsttime.AswepreparetoopenthedoorsthisNovember,wewanttoimagine—alongwithyou—powerfulwaystoputthesethreeextraordinaryartcollectionstoworkforHarvardstudentsandfaculty,visitingscholarsandartists,andlocalcommunitymembersofallages.Theprogramsandresourcesdescribedinthepagesthatfollowlayafoundationforthecreative,generative,andpracticalconversationsahead.

Asauniversityartmuseum,weseestudentsasthepulseofourprograms.Under-graduatestudentguides,graduatestudentteachers,fellowsinanadvancedmuseumprogram,researchassistants,interns,andstudentboardmembers:allwillactivateandsupportavarietyofofferingsformultipleaudiences.Theircontributionswillbeforegroundedthroughoutthemuseums,fromtheArtStudyCentertotheCollectionsGalleries,fromtheMaterialsLabtotheLightboxGallery.

WeaskedRenzoPianotoredesigntheHarvardArtMuseumstocreateanewkindoffineartslaboratory,onethatsupportsfacultyteachingandresearch.Asasiteforfacultyfromalldisciplinestoconvene,themuseumswillmountexhibitions,hostsymposiaandworkshops,andpresentlecturesandseminarsthatcontributetoandadvanceuniversity-wideconversations.

WeoftenrefertothenewHarvardArtMuseumsasateachingmachine;andlikethebuilding’sglassinteriorandexposedmechanics,wewanttoshowourinnerworkings.Themuseumsdevelopedaninitialplanforacademicandpublicprogramsduringthe2012–13academicyear.Weheldaseriesofmonthlyconversations,askingHarvarddeans,professors,students,andstafftosharetheirperspectives;weconductedastudytoidentifygroundbreakingendeavorsbypeerinstitutions;andwedebatedstrategies.Thisparticipatoryprocesswillcontinueasweshapeouractivitiesmovingforward—andweinviteyoutojoinus.

Ourprogramsencouragecollaborationwithcampusandcommunitypartners,offerafreshtakeonthemuseums’celebratedcollections,andinformintellectualandcreativecurrentsoncampus.Welookforwardtohearingfromyou.

PleasecontactJessica Levin Martinez,DirectorofAcademicandPublicPrograms,withquestions,comments,orideas:jessica_martinez@harvard.edu.

An Invitation

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Spaces for Learning, Teaching, and Research

Level 5

Level 4

Level 3

Level 2

Level 1

Lower Level

SomervilleResearchFacility 200InnerBeltRoad,ashort shuttleridefromcampus

LightboxGallery StrausCenterforConservation andTechnicalStudies

LectureHalls SeminarRoom MaterialsLab

CalderwoodCourtyard

NaumburgRoom

Collections Galleries (Levels1,2,and3)

UniversityGalleriesSpecialExhibitionsGallery

ArtStudyCenterStrausCenterforConservation andTechnicalStudies

AdolphusBuschHall 29KirklandStreet,justtwo blocksfromthemuseums

HarvardArtMuseums Entrancesat32QuincyStreet andonPrescottStreet

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The most important thing to teach my students is that when they walk into a museum, they do have something to say, something to add. These objects are just waiting to be understood, waiting to be interpreted by anyone who’s willing to take the time to engage them.

— Jennifer L. Roberts, Elizabeth Cary Agassiz Professor of the Humanities, Department of History of Art and Architecture

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Galleries

Collections GalleriesTheworksofartondisplayintheCollectionsGalleriesaredrawnfromtheinternationallyrenownedartcollectionsoftheFoggMuseum,theBusch-ReisingerMuseum,andtheArthurM.SacklerMuseum.Together,thesecollectionsincludeapproximately250,000worksdatingfromancienttimestothepresent,includingobjectsfromtheAmericas,Europe,NorthAfrica,theMediterranean,andAsia.

Organizedchronologicallyandbyculture,theCollectionsGalleriesarespreadacrossthreelevelsofthenewfacility,encompassing35,000squarefeet.Theywillprovidestudentsandotheraudienceswithanorientingframework:startingpointsandspringboardsthatencourageindependentexplorationof,andcriticalthinkingabout,originalworksofart.Thesegalleriesaimtohighlighttheintrinsicpowerofartand,especiallyinauniversitycontext,reinforceitscapacitytofunctionasanengineforinquirydifferentfromthatofawrittenessayornumericequation.Introductorytextsdescribekeyconceptsandpropositionsactivatedbythespecificdisplayofartineachgallery,rangingfromAncientEgypt’sArtofEternity,tothe18th-centuryAtlanticWorld,tothe1960sExperiment.

TheFoggMuseumisdistinguishedbyitsexceptionalholdingsofEuropeanandAmericanartfromthepost-classicalperiodtothepresentday.CelebratedstrengthsofthecollectionincludeearlyItalianRenaissancepainting;17th-centuryDutchand19th-centuryFrenchandBritishart,especiallydrawings;oneofAmerica’spremiercollectionsofworksbythePre-Raphaelites;andthestoriedMauriceWertheimcollectionofimpressionistandpostimpressionistworks.Themuseumalsohousessignificant18th-to21st-centuryAmericanart,includingpaintingsandworksonpaper;anextensivephotographycollectionthattracesthedevelopmentofthemediumfromitsearliestdays;modernandcontemporarysculpture;andworksinnewmedia.

TheBusch-ReisingerMuseum,theonlymuseumofitskindinNorthAmerica,isdevotedsolelytotheartofcentralandnorthernEurope,withaparticularemphasisonartfromGerman-speakingcountries.TheBusch-Reisingercollectionincludessignificantworksoflatemedievalsculptureandallowsforin-depthstudyofartafter1880,especiallyGermanexpressionism,1920sabstraction,andthemultiplesofJosephBeuys,aswellascontemporarydevelopmentsinallmedia.ThemuseumalsoholdsoneofthemostimportantcollectionsofBauhausmaterialsoutsideGermany,aswellasthearchivesofWalterGropiusandLyonelFeininger.

TheArthurM.SacklerMuseumencompassesimportantcollectionsfromtheancientMediterranean,Islamiclands,andSouthandEastAsia.Itssubstantialholdingsspaneightmillenniaandincorporatearangeofmedia,includingpaintings,drawings,andprints;sculptureinstone,bronze,andterracotta;ceramicandmetalvessels;andartifactsinavarietyofmaterials.Ithousesaworld-renownedcollectionofarchaicChinesejades,asuperbcollectionofPersianandIndianpaintingsanddrawings,andamajornumismaticcollectionofmorethan22,000Greek,Roman,andByzantinecoins.

Theofficesandresearchresourcesofthethreemuseums’curatorialdivisionsarelocatedonLevel3,adjacenttotheCollectionsGalleries.Researchresourcesavailableforconsultationincludecuratoriallibrariesanduniqueobjectfilesdocumentingaspectsofthespecifichistoryof,andscholarlyopinionsabout,worksinthecollections.Studentsandscholarswithspecificresearchquestionsmayalsoconsultcuratorsabouttheworksofartintheircare.Consultationofobjectfiles,curatoriallibraries,andcuratorscanbearrangedbyappointment.

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Special Exhibitions GalleryThe5,000-square-footSpecialExhibitionsGallerywillallowforthepresentationofcomplexandnuancedresearchexhibitionprojects.Thisgalleryisasitewherecuratorswillcontributetocurrentscholarshipandtotheproductionofnewknowledgethatwilladvancethefield.Theconception,development,andimplementationoftheseprojectswillengagestudentsandfaculty,andwillusuallybeaccompaniedbyasignificantpublication,onlineandprintinterpretivematerials,andthought-provokingprograms.Thisgallerywillalsosupportmajorloanexhibitionsfromaroundtheworld.

TheinauguralspecialexhibitionwillbeMark Rothko’s Harvard Murals,ondisplayNovember16,2014throughJuly26,2015.TheexhibitionhasbenefitedfromtheexpertiseofProfessorTimothyHyde,fromHarvard’sGraduateSchoolofDesign,andwillbemountedinconjunctionwithaGSDinstallationintheFrancesLoebLibraryatGundHallthataddressesthedialoguebetweenartandarchitectureoverthelastcentury.

University GalleriesFourdistinctUniversityGallerieswillsupportandadvanceinnovativeteachingandlearningfromoriginalworksofart;thesegallerieswillbeinstalledinconjunctionwithfaculty.Whetherworksaredisplayedforanentiresemesterorforthedurationofasingleassignment,whethertheyaredecidedinadvanceorarrangedandinterpretedasacoursedevelops,thesedynamicspaceswillengagestudentsandthepublicandwillhelprealizethecurriculargoalsofparticipatingprofessors.Thegallerieswillbeasiteforcuratorialexperimentationandwillhavethepotentialtoinformthemuseums’interpretivestrategiesandprogramofferings. University Teaching Gallery

This1,000-square-footgallerywillsupportcoursesinthevisualartsthroughsemester-longinstallations,withpreferencegiventoHistoryofArtandArchitecture(HAA)courses,includingthosethatfulfillthedepartment’sundergraduaterequirements,suchashistoricalcoursesinvisualandenvironmentalstudiesaswellasinclassicalarchaeology.Thegallerymaybeusedforasingleclassordividedforusebytwoorthreecourses.Asinthepast,HAAwillprogramthisgalleryinconsultationwiththemuseums.Intheinauguralyear,ProfessorSuzannePrestonBlierwillselectworkstocomplementhercourseonworld’sfairs,andProfessorYukioLippitwillselectworkstocomplementhiscourseonJapanesegenrepainting.

University Study Gallery

This1,000-square-footgallerywillbe,ineffect,anextensionoftheArtStudyCenter(seep.12).Short-termdisplayswillsupportcoursesinalldepartments,withpreferencegiventotheHarvardCollegePrograminGeneralEducation.Thecollectionswillbeusedfor“lookingassignments”ineachoftheGeneralEducationcoursecategories:AestheticandInterpretiveUnderstanding,CultureandBelief,EmpiricalandMathematicalReasoning,EthicalReasoning,ScienceofLivingSystems,ScienceofthePhysicalUniverse,SocietiesoftheWorld,andtheUnitedStatesintheWorld.FacultyfromdiversefieldshaveselectedobjectstobeinstalledfortheFall2014semester;theyincludeprofessorsRichardBeaudoin(Music),PeterBurgard(German),EmmaDench(ClassicsandHistory),PeterGalison(PhysicsandHistoryofScience),StephenGreenblatt(English),JohnT.Hamilton(ComparativeLiteratureandGerman),JosephKoerner(HAA),LouisMenand(English),AlinaPayne(HAA),DorisSommer(RomanceLanguagesandLiteratures),andLaurelThatcherUlrich(History).

University Research Gallery

This1,000-square-footgallerywilladvanceresearchinthedevelopment,implementation,use,andassess-mentofspecialexhibitions,includingcourse-relatedprojectsfocusedonexhibition-making.Thisgallerycanbeusedtoteachwaysofvisualizingandconstructinganargumentwithoriginalworksofartinagivenspace.Itisalsoasiteforcuratorialexperimentation,allowingforandencouragingarangeoffacultyengagements,fromgeneratingexhibitionconceptstoevaluatingvisitorexperience,amongothers.ProjectsunderdevelopmentincludeacollaborationwithProfessorEwaLajer-Burcharth(HAA)ondrawingasamodernmediumandwithProfessorDavidRoxburgh(HAA)onQajarlacquers.

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University Collections Gallery

This450-square-footgallerywillbededicatedtothedisplayofworksofartfromuniversitycollectionsbeyondthoseheldbytheHarvardArtMuseums,suchasthoseinthePeabodyMuseumofArchaeologyandEthnology,theHarvardSemiticMuseum,theCollectionofHistoricalScientificInstruments,andDumbartonOaksResearchLibraryandCollection,amongothers.EmbeddedintheCollectionsGalleriesprogram,thisgallerypresentsuniversitycollectionsinadifferentdisplaycontextandallowsforexpandeddialoguebetweentheseobjectsandthoseheldbytheHarvardArtMuseums.ThisprominentspacecreatesopportunitiestorepresentareasinwhichtheHarvardArtMuseumshavenothistoricallycollectedinmeaningfulways.Forexample,worksinanAfricanartexhibition,guestcuratedbyHAAalumnaKristinaVanDyke(Director,PulitzerFoundationfortheArts),willbeonlong-termloanfromthePeabodyMuseumofArchaeologyandEthnology.TheUniversityCollectionsGalleryalsoservesasaplatformtoconnecttheHarvardArtMuseumswithothercampusmuseums,andtoconsidercollectinghistoriesandmuseumpractice.

Adolphus Busch HallBuiltbetween1914and1917,AdolphusBuschHallhousedHarvard’sGermanicMuseum(nowtheBusch-ReisingerMuseum;seep.6)foralmost70years.InitiatedbyliteratureprofessorKunoFrancketwodecadesearlier,themuseumwasintendedtoillustratethedevelopmentofnorthernEuropean,mostlyGerman,art.Until1930thecollectionincludedonlyreproductions,notablyplastercastsofmedievalandRenaissancesculptureandarchitecturalstonework.AgiftfromKaiserWilhelmIIin1903included22plastercasts,amongthemreproductionsoftheFreibergGoldenPortal,theNaumburgwestchoirscreen,andtheHildesheimbronzedoors.Suchreplicaswerecommonlyusedforstudyatthetime,givingstudentstheopportunitytoexaminefull-scaleplasterreproductionsofmasterpieceswithouthavingtotravelabroad.AdolphusBuschHallandtheplastercastcollectiononviewtherecontinuetoserveasvaluableteachingresources.Thisspring,ProfessorJeffreyHamburger(HAA)taughtwiththecastcollectioninhiscourseCasts,Construction,andCommemoration:GermanGothicinAmericaandAbroad,whichexaminedGermanmonumentalsculpturefromthe11ththrough13thcenturiesinabroadcontext.

Teaching and Tours

Themuseums’curricularandextracurricularsupportsetsinmotionkeyrecommendationsmadebytheHarvardTaskForceontheArts,thepresidentialinitiativetomaketheartsanintegralpartofthecognitivelifeoftheuniversity.Thetaskforce’srecognitionoftheartsas“irreplaceableinstrumentsofknowledge”callsontheHarvardArtMuseumstoopentheircollectionstostudentsinallacademicdisciplines.AlongsideourworkwithfacultyandstudentsintheDepartmentsofHistoryofArtandArchitectureandVisualandEnvironmentalStudies,themuseumswillfeaturenewandexpandedofferingstosupportarangeofteachinginthehumani-ties,sciences,andsocialsciences.Richopportunitiesaboundforstudentsoutsideofcourseworkaswell.

Harvard Curricular SupportThemuseumsettingpromotesactivelearningandinterdisciplinarythinking,asitchallengesstudentsandteacherstodevelopevidence-basedinterpretationsandtomakeconnectionsacrossculturesandtime.TheHarvardArtMuseums’collectionsandexhibitionsserveasacatalystforteachingandresearchprojectsacrossdisciplines.Museumsstaff,comprisedofeducators,curators,conservatorsandconservationscientists,technologists,andothers,routinelyconsultwithfacultyandteachingfellowstoidentifywaysthatthemuseumcanbestsupportcoursegoals.Incloseconsultationwithfaculty,museumsstaffidentifyrelevantworksofartfordiscussion,facilitategalleryconversations,leadmaterials-basedinvestigationsandexperiments,designassignments,andshareresearchmaterialsincludingcollectionsdata,objectfiles,treatmentrecords,and

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archivaldocuments.Collections-basedassignmentshaverangedfromvirtualexhibitionsandimageannotationstoresearchpapersandpresentationsinvariouslanguages,aswellasmusicalcompositionssuchasTheTrioProject.Forthisassignment,facultymemberRichardBeaudoinaskedstudentsinMusic51btotakeinspirationfroma16th-centuryTurkishceramicplatewithfloraldecoration.Hehadstudentsimaginetheplate’swhitegroundassilence,withtheotherthreecolorsrepresentingthelayeringofindividualinstruments.

Harvard Extracurricular SupportTheHarvardArtMuseumssupportstudent-driveninitiativesthatbenefitfromthemuseums’collections.Theseincludeawidearrayofarts-relatedgroupsoncampus.OnepartneristhePhillipsBrooksHouseAssociation(PBHA),a100-year-oldstudent-run,community-basednonprofitorganizationcommittedtoserviceandsocialaction.ThemuseumswelcomePBHAstudentvolunteers—mentors,tutors,andadvisors—tousethemuseumstosupportcollegepreparatorywork,ESLtrainingfornewAmericans,K–12after-schoolenrichmentclasses,andotherprograms.

Student Guide ToursHarvardundergraduatesfromavarietyofdisciplineswillofferengagingtoursoftheHarvardArtMuseums foruniversityandcommunityaudiences.Workinginclosecollaborationwithcolleaguesatthemuseumsandtheuniversity,theprogramdirectorwilltrainacohortof10to15undergraduatesoverthecourseofasemestertoguidevisitorsthroughthecollections.Theprogramwillincludetalkswithcurators,conservators,artists, andHarvardfaculty;abehind-the-sceneslookattheStrausCenterforConservationandTechnicalStudies(seep.14);theexaminationoforiginalworksofart;andtraininginoralpresentation.Studentguidesareencouragedtosharetheuniqueperspectivesthattheirindividualfieldsofstudybringtolookingatthecollections.Thestudentswillrangefromsophomorestoseniorsandwillrepresentfieldsofstudyasdiverse ashistoryofartandarchitecture,English,chemistry,anthropology,computerscience,andthecomparativestudyofreligion.

Graduate Student TeachingThegraduatestudentteachingprogramwilltrainHarvardgraduatestudentsintheFacultyofArtsandSciencesandtheGraduateSchoolofEducationtodevelopandfacilitategalleryexperiencesforhighschoolstudents.TheHarvardArtMuseumswillformapartnershipwiththeCambridgeRindge&LatinSchool,theneighborhoodhighschoollocatedjuststepsfromthemuseums.Thisproximityallowsfora“museumschool”modelinwhichclassesneedonlytravelablocktoengagewithoriginalworksofart.GraduatestudentteacherswillinturnsharetheirexpertisewithHarvardteachingfellows,whoassistundergraduatecoursesbyteachingsections,conductingtutorials,recommendinggrades,andsupervisingindependentstudyprojects.WorkingwithHarvard’sDerekBokCenterforLearningandTeaching,studentswillofferpeer-to-peerinstructionthatwillencourageandsupportobject-andcollections-basedteachingatHarvard.

The Museum ProgramTheFoggMuseum’slegendaryMuseumCoursetrainedgenerationsofmuseumleaders.ThecoursewasconceivedbyformerDirectorPaulJ.Sachs,wholedthecoursefrom1921until1948.AfterSachs’sretirement,itwastaughtintermittentlybyotherprominentfigures,includingProfessorsJakobRosenberg,J.P.Coolidge,andSeymourSlive,untilthemid-1980s.Sincethendozensofinterns,fellows,andadvancedstudents—includingHistoryofArtandArchitecturealumniChristineMehring(ProfessorofArtHistoryandtheCollege,UniversityofChicago),JacobProctor(Curator,theNeubauerCollegiumforCultureandSociety),andScottRothkopf(CuratorandAssociateDirectorofPrograms,WhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt)—havecontributedtoandbenefitedfromworkingwithinthemuseums.In2015,theHarvardArtMuseumswilllaunchanewandreconfiguredtrainingprogramforemergingscholars(graduateandpostgraduate)interestedintheproductionandpresentationoforiginalscholarshipinamuseumcontext.

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In-Focus TalksCurators,conservators,educators,fellows,andotherstaffmemberswillofferafternoonfocustalksbasedintheirareasofexpertise.Freeandopentothepublic,thesewillbe30-minutedrop-intalks(a20-minutetalkwithdiscussiontofollow)fordiverseaudiences.Duringthemuseums’inauguralyear,talkswillfocusonaspectsoftheinstallationprocess,exploringbothintellectualandmorepracticalconsiderations.Museumsstaffandinvitedguestswill,forexample,teaseoutargumentsatplayinthegalleries,learnmoreaboutconservationtreatments,lookcloselyatspecificcollections,ordrawconnectionsbetweenworksofartthroughoutthemuseums.

Multimedia Gallery Materials: A Case Study Approach InstallationsintheCollectionsGalleries,SpecialExhibitionsGallery,andUniversityGalleriesexpressthemuseums’strengthanddistinctivenessasateachingandlearninginstitution.Themuseumswillproducemultimediatours,accessibleontabletsandsmartphones,thatconsiderobjectsthroughavarietyofperspectivesusingacasestudyapproach.Relyingonmultiplesourcesofevidenceanddrawingontheoreticalpropositions,thefollowingmultimediagallerymaterialswilllaunchatthemuseums’openinginNovember2014,andtheyaredesignedtogrowovertime.

Driving Concepts Thisdigitaltourinvitesvisitorstoconsiderfiveobjectsrepresentativeofthebreadthanddepthofthecollectionsandhowtheyrelatetothethematiccategoriesoftime,mapping,fragment,revolution,andlonging.Theseconceptsemergefromtheworksofartonpermanentdisplayandconnectpowerfullytothecurators’presentationofthecollections.ThisapproachwasinspiredbytheHistoryofArtandArchitecture’s2012surveycourse,LandmarksofWorldArt&Architecture,whichtookasitssub-theme,“artandrevolution.”Eachfacultymemberapproachedhisorherareaofexpertisethroughthelensofrevolution—whetherscientific,intellectual,technical,political,orvisual.Visitorswillexperimentwithevocativeconceptsandcometosee theartobjectasanenginethatdrivesintellectualinquiry.Asthematiccategories,thedrivingconceptsprovideroutesofaccessintodiverseobjectsacrosscollections,aswellasputtingthemintogenerativedialoguewith oneanother.

Hotspots HotspottoursprovidedigitallyguidedopportunitiesfordeeperinvestigationofselectedworksondisplayintheCollectionsGalleries.Eachtourfocusesonasingleobjectoragroupingofobjectsinordertosharenewresearch,drawattentiontothecollections’strengths,showcomplementarymaterial,orhighlightagallery’smainproposition.Materialsandresourcesincludefindingsfromongoingcollections-basedresearchprojects,holdingsfromHarvard’sricharchivesandlibraries,andmultimediacontent.WorksrelatedtotheHotspotswillbeaccessibleintheArtStudyCenter(seep.12),introducingvisitorstotheuseofthisspecialresourceaswellasthetypesofexplorationsthatarepossiblethere.

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Art + Science Thehistorical,technical,andmaterialknowledgeofworksofartcontributestoourabilitytoevaluateandappreciatewhatwesee.Thistourgivesinsightintohowtheconservator’sinvestigationofanobject’sphysicalproperties,oftenaidedbysophisticatedtechnologies,candeepenourexperienceoforiginalworksofart.Designedtoencouragecloselooking,thedigitalArt+Sciencetourwillinvitevisitorstoobservevisualcluestoartists’technicalchoices,tomaterials,andtoawork’stransformationovertime.Visitorsarealsoaskedtoconsidertheroleofconservationintheinterpretationofart.Thephysicalityofobjects—whattheirmaterials,structure,andconditionreveal—willbefurtherexploredintheLightboxGalleryandMaterialsLab(seepp.16–17).

Making a Museum: The Busch-Reisinger ThismultimediatouroftheBusch-Reisingercollectionfocusesonobjectsinthenewmuseuminstallation,whilealsodirectingvisitorstoprogramsatAdolphusBuschHall(seep.8),thehistorichomeoftheBusch-ReisingerMuseum.ThismuseumisdedicatedtoartfromtheGerman-speakingcountriesofcentralandnorthernEurope.Itslongcollectinghistory,statementsofpurpose,andarchivaldocumentsrevealhowandwhymuseumschange,howtheyadapttohistoricalcontext,andhowtheyshapethestudyofarthistory.ThehistoryoftheBusch-Reisingerdemonstratesthatthemuseumisneveraneutralspace:museumspacesarearguments;collectionsandexhibitionsareaseriesofdecisionsthatmanifestideologiesandagendas.Asacasestudyinthedevelopmentofmuseumsandlaboratories,whichareessentialtothemodernresearchuniversity,thistourlooksatissuesraisedbycampusinstitutionsfoundedatsimilartimesandwithempiricalpedagogicmethodologies,suchastheMineralogicalandGeologicalMuseum(est.1891/1901),theHarvardSemiticMuseum(est.1903),andtheHarvardForest(est.1907).

School Group ExplorationsMaterialsavailableforK–12audienceswillsupportandencourageteacherstodesignandleadtheirowntours.Thesetourswillfostercriticalthinkingandlookingskillsbyhavingstudentsnoticedetailsandrelationships,exploremultipleperspectives,askquestions,solveproblems,andmakeconnectionsandcomparisonsusingworksonviewinthegalleries.Digitalmaterialssuggestobjectsandstrategiesforobject-basedteaching;proposethematicentrypointsandkeyquestions;andrecommendgalleryactivitiesandclassroomconnections.TourswillbegearedtodevelopmentalstagesandalignedwiththeCommonCoreStateStandards.SchoolGroupExplorationswillbecomplementedbyprofessionaldevelopmentworkshopsforteachers.

It’s an extraordinary gift to have the richness and diversity of collections that exist at Harvard. It’s an incredible archipelago of knowledge production and imagination; and it’s an indispensable resource. . . . I feel like there is a responsibility to think about ways to share that experience, not only on campus, but beyond.

— Matthew Battles, Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; Associate Director, metaLAB (at) Harvard

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Anatomy of the Harvard Art MuseumsThisdigitaltourintroducesvisitorstothespecialarchitecturalfeaturesoftheHarvardArtMuseums’newbuilding,designedbyRenzoPianoBuildingWorkshop,andexplainsthewaysinwhichthedesignenhancesinstitutionalgoals.Itshowshowthearchitect’srenovationofthehistoricFogg(designedbyCoolidge,Shepley,Bulfinch,andAbbott)andstrikingadditionbridgeoldandnew,whilealsocomplementingnearbybuildingsbyarchitectsH.H.Richardson,LeCorbusier,andJamesStirling.Thetourfocusesonqualitiesoflight,transparency,publicaccess,sustainability,andartstewardship.Italsooffersacompendiumoftheproject’sbuildingmaterials,fromtheglassroofandexteriorwoodcladdingtothetravertinecourtyardandPennsylvaniaBluestonefloor.

Art Study Center Providingopportunitiesfortheclose,sustainedviewingofworksofarthaslongbeencentraltotheHarvardArtMuseums’missionofteachingandresearch.Designedtoofferanenvironmentforbothsmall-classandindividualstudy,theArtStudyCenterwillprovidelearning,teaching,andresearchopportunitiesforstudents,faculty,andthepublicthroughthecloseexaminationoforiginalworksofartfromthecollectionsoftheFogg,Busch-Reisinger,andArthurM.Sacklermuseums.Eachofthethreemuseumshasitsowndedicatedartstudycenterofferingaccesstothousandsofworksofartacrossallmedia,includingGreekvases,Romanbronzefigurines,Byzantinecoins,Chinesejades,Japanesesurimonoprints,Islamicpaintingsanddrawings,Rembrandtetchings,PaulGauguinstilllifes,DavidSmithsculpture,photographsbyDianeArbus,LyonelFeiningerdrawings,andmultiplesbyJosephBeuys.TheArtStudyCenterasawhole(thethreemuseums’studycenters,twoseminarrooms,aswellaslargereceptionandorientationareas)totalsapproximately5,000squarefeetonthefourthfloorofthenewfacility,makingituniqueinscaleamongU.S.museums.

Towelcomeandencouragevisitors

—HarvardArtMuseumsadvancedcuratorialfellowswillsharetheirexpertiseandhelpguidevisitorsinselectingobjectsforstudy.

— TheDivisionofAcademicandPublicProgramswillproduceteachingandlearningresourcestoguideviewersintheirinvestigationoforiginalworks,inconsultationwithcuratorsandtheDerekBokCenterforTeachingandLearning,whichworkstoadvancethequalityofundergraduateeducationatHarvard.

TheseresourcesmayrelateworksofartintheArtStudyCentertothoseinthegalleriesbyelaboratingongallerypropositions,forexample,orfocusingonaspecificartist,movement,orobjecttype.Connectionstothegalleriescanbeconceptualaswellasbehavioral;visitorswillbeencouragedtobringthedeepexperienceofprolongedlookingintheArtStudyCentertothegallerysetting.Inanimportant2007reportonstudycenterlearningbyProjectZero,aneducationalresearchgroupattheHarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation,DirectorShariTishmanexplainsthatthestudycenterexperiencepromoteshigh-endcognition:formsofthinkingandlearningthatarecharacteristicofsophisticateddisciplinaryandinterdisciplinaryinquiry,suchasmakingnuanceddiscernments,posingsophisticatedproblems,exploringmultipleperspectives,andmakinggenerativecomparisonsandconnections.TeachingandlearningresourcesdesignedforuseintheArtStudyCenterwillencouragethistypeofcriticalattention.Researchersandvisitorsmayalsoconsultcuratorialobjectfilesthatincludedocumentationonthespecifichistoryof,andscholarlyopinionsabout,worksinthecollections.

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Study DaysDuringStudyDays,theArtStudyCenterwillactasaprivateforumtotestideasrelatingtoaspectsofthecollections.Themuseumswillconveneinternationalscholars,facultymembers,graduatestudents,curators,andconservatorstoworkthroughproblemsofinterpretationandtoconsiderareasforfurtherresearch.Participantswillbeinvitedtoraisenewquestionsandsharefreshinsightswithapublicaudienceattheendoftheday.StudyDaysplannedforthenear-termoncethemuseumsreopenwillbringtogetherresearcherstoanalyzeanddiscussworksbyMarkRothkoandJohnSingletonCopley.

Up-Close SeminarsAsignatureprogramoftheArtStudyCenter,Up-CloseSeminarswillbeledbyvisitingorlocalartists,curators,facultymembers,andgraduatestudentsandwillbeaimedatthegeneralpublic.Rarelytraditionalintheirchoiceofsubject,theseminarswillfeaturespeakerswhoargueathesisusingoriginalobjectsoftheirchoosing;theywilljuxtaposeworksofdifferentmedia,includingdrawings,prints,photographs,small-scalesculpture,paintings,anddecorativeartobjects.TheseminarsexemplifytherangeofexplorationanddiscoverypossibleintheArtStudyCenter.Theobjectlistandkeyargumentsfromeachseminarwillbedocumentedandarchivedasaresourceforfuturestudy.In2014–15,theseminarswillfocusontopicsasdiverseasancientbronzes,AlbrechtDürer’sengravings,Japanesefoldingscreens,andBauhausartanddesign.

Harvard Interdisciplinary WorkshopsManyacademiccommitteesandarearesearchcentersatHarvardorganizeamonthlyworkshopthatbringstogetherfacultyandgraduatestudentstodiscussaparticipant’sresearchorworkinprogress.Byhostingarangeofinterdisciplinaryworkshops,theHarvardArtMuseumswillbeabletosharetheirspecializedcollectionsacrosscampusandencourageintegrationintocurrentresearch.Discussionsfeaturingthemuseums’researchcenters,includingtheArchaeologicalExplorationofSardisandtheCenterfortheTechnicalStudyofModernArt,willcomplementestablishedworkshopsatHarvard,suchastheMedievalStudiesInterdisciplinaryWorkshop,theAfricanStudiesWorkshop,theSquishyPhysicsSeminarSeries,theKoreaColloquium,andtheWorkshopinHistory,Culture,andSociety,amongothers.Themuseumswillalsoorganizeworkshopstointroducefacultyandotherpractitionerstospecialexhibitions,withtheaimofencouragingthemtoincorporatetheexhibitionsintheirteachingandprogramming.

To allow innovation and imagination to thrive on our campus, to educate and empower creative minds across all disciplines, to help shape the twenty-first century, Harvard must make the arts an integral part of the cognitive life of the university: for along with the sciences and the humanities, the arts—as they are both experienced and practiced—are irreplaceable instruments of knowledge.

— Report of the Harvard Task Force on the Arts,December2008

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Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies and the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art

TheStrausCenterforConservationandTechnicalStudiesprovidesanalysisandtreatmentsfortheHarvardArtMuseums’collectionsinallmedia.TrainingandeducationarefundamentalactivitiesoftheStrausCenter,atraditionestablishedatitsfoundingmorethan80yearsago,whenitbecamethefirstinstitutionintheUnitedStatestousescientificmethodstostudyartists’materialsandtechniques.TheStrausCenterisapioneerintheuseofsophisticatedexaminationandinstrumentaltechniquestoanalyzethestructuralandchemicalnatureofworksofartandhistoricalobjects.Todayitcontinuestoplayaleadingrolenotonlyinpreservingspecificworksofart,butalsoindevelopingnewmethodsandtechniquesforthefieldofconservationandintrainingthenextgenerationofconservators. TheStrausCenterwilloccupytheuppermostfloorsofthenewfacilityinCambridge,butwillalsohaveapresenceatthemuseums’SomervilleResearchFacility(seep.19).TheofficesoftheCenterfortheTechnicalStudyofModernArt(CTSMA)willalsobelocatedintheStrausCenter.CTSMA’sarchivesandcollectionscanbeaccessedattheSomervilleResearchFacility.

Whereasmuseumconservationlabstypicallyoperatebehindthescenes,theStrausCenterwillgivevisitorsviewsintothepaper,objects,paintings,andanalyticallabs.Anelaborateshadingsystemallowscontrolled,naturallighttoenterthelabs,andglasswallsmakevisibletheworkthatwaspreviouslyhiddenfromview.

Materials-Based Course SupportTheStrausCenterisapowerfulresourcefortheHarvardArtMuseumsandfortheuniversity.ConservationprofessionalsintheStrausCenterteachcoursesintechnicalarthistoryandsupportmaterials-basedinquiryincoursesacrossHarvard’scurriculum.Inalternatingyears,thestaffoftheStrausCenterteachesHistoryofArtandArchitecture101,acoursethatconsidersissuesrelatedtothemakingofworksofartandtotheirphysicalalterationovertime.TheyalsoteachHistoryofArtandArchitecture206,acoursefocusedonthescientificinvestigationofworksofart.Togetherwithstudents,conservatorsandconservationscientistsconsiderartists’materialchoices,resources,constraints,andinnovations,aswellasthediagnostictoolsusedfordescription,dating,authentication,andconservation.

Outside of a museum space, outside of an art space, very often people understand art as entertainment. Sometimes they will go so far as to say that art is a mode of expression—as if the feelings preexisted. But in an art space we can demonstrateto students that art is a vehicle for exploration: exploration of meaning, exploration of materials . . . it’s a lab.

— Doris Sommer, Ira Jewell Williams, Jr., Professor of Romance Languages and Literatures and of African and African American Studies

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Naumburg Room TheAaronandNettieG.NaumburgRoomwillbereinstalledinthenewHarvardArtMuseums,adjacenttotheCollectionsGalleriesonthesecondfloor.AnEnglishJacobean–inspireddiningroom,livingroom,entrancehall,andstairway,integratingRenaissancestainedglassandotherhistoricelements,theNaumburgRoomprovidesauniquegatheringplacewheremuseumsstaff,facultyandstudents,andguestscancometogethertodiscussideasthatspringfromexperiencingandcontemplatingoriginalworksofart.ItprovidesaphysicalandintellectualspacethatcarriesonthegreattraditionofHarvardpast—livelyandengagingconversationadvancedinadistinguishedsetting.

Harvard College House TeasMaster’sTeasareadeeplyheldandbelovedritualofHarvard’sresidentialcollegesystem.HostedbyaHouseMaster,whoisaseniormemberofthefacultyoradministration,thesestudybreaksteemwithfoodandfriends.TheHarvardArtMuseumsStudentBoardwillcohostHouseTeasforundergraduateHousestobuildcommunityandintroducestudentstoideas,people,andspacesoncampusthattheymightnototherwiseencounter.Boardmemberswillinviteselectedfacultymembers,museumsstaff,visitingartists,andotherstodiscussspecialexhibitionsandothernewprojects.

Special Receptions TheNaumburgRoomwillfeaturespecialeventsforvisitingscholars,artists,andothernotablefiguresaswellasfacultyreceptionsandalumnigatherings.Thisroomwillalsoserveasagraciousmeetingandconferencespaceforthemuseums.

Harvard Art Museums Student Board

TheHarvardArtMuseumswillappointastudentboardwithrepresentationfromeachofthecollege’s12residentialHousesaswellasgraduateandprofessionalschoolstodeepenandsustainstudentinvolvementwiththemuseumsandtodisseminateinformationaboutresources,spaces,andprograms.Tohelpmoreeffectivelyintegratethemuseumsinstudentlife,boardmemberswill:

—adviseonaspectsofstudentlifeatHarvard;

—promoteeventstothestudentcommunity;

—collaboratewithcampuspartnerstodesignAM/PMevents(seep.18);and

—cohostHarvardCollegeHouseTeasintheNaumburgRoom.

Monthlyboardmeetingswillcapturetheenergyofastart-upandbenefitfromtheentrepreneurialspiritoftheboard’smembers.The2014–15studentboardiscomprisedofundergraduateandgraduatestudentswhosharetheirperspectivesascampusleaders.Boardmembersrepresentmorethanadozenacademicdisciplines,andtheyparticipateinextracurricularpursuitsrangingfromHastyPuddingTheatricalsandThe Harvard Crimson to theHarvardMen’sUltimateFrisbeeClubandtheHarvardCollegeFirstGenerationStudentUnion.

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Lecture Halls and Seminar Room Harvard Film Archive ThenewHarvardArtMuseumswillbephysicallyconnectedtotheCarpenterCenterfortheVisualArts(CCVA),hometotheHarvardFilmArchive(HFA),oneofthelargestandmostsignificantuniversity-basedmotionpicturecollectionsintheUnitedStates.TheHFAprogramatCCVAisacinémathèque,showinganygivenfilmorvideoonlyonce.Themuseumswillcomplementthisprograminthe300-seatMenschelHallwithaprogramthatwillallowforanextendedtheatricalrunofgroundbreakingfilmsandvideos.Tofurtherbringthemovingimageandtime-basedmediatothemuseums,specialfilmprogramswillbedevelopedthroughHFA,CCVA,andHarvardArtMuseumscollaborationsthatconnecttoandgrowfromcuratorialprojectsandinitiativesintheCollectionsGalleries,UniversityGalleries,andSpecialExhibitionsGallery.Aninauguralcollaborativeprojectwillfocusonartistswhoseworkbridgesthegalleryandthecinema.

Lectures, Artist Talks, and SymposiaTheHarvardArtMuseumswillhostarobustprogramofscholarlylectures,artisttalks,roundtables,andsymposiafeaturingtheworld’sleadingvoicesonartandvisualculture.Thesetalksintroducenewscholarshipandbringdifferentperspectivestothepodium.Mosteventswilltakeplaceinthe300-seatMenschelHall,100-seatDeknatelHall,or35-seatseminarroom,andwillstreamliveontheWeborbearchivedforfutureresearch.Publictalksandsymposia,heldintheeveningandonweekends,aredesignedtoamplify(orcomplicate)theideasandargumentsthatthecollectionsandtheirinterpretationsraise.Themuseumswillextendspecialinvitationstoclasses,extracurricularstudentorganizations,andcommunitygroupstoattendtalksofparticularrelevancetothem.CertainguestspeakerswillcontributetotheHarvardcurriculumbyvisitingclassestosharetheirpointsofview.Duringweekdays,HarvardCollegewilladministerthelecturehallsandseminarroom,whichwillbedevotedtoHarvardclassesinalldepartments.

Lightbox Gallery

Digital Experience TheLightboxGalleryispositionedatthebuildingsummitdirectlybeneaththeglassroof,whichistheuppermostpartofwhatarchitectRenzoPianoreferstoastheLightMachine.Thisgalleryofferstwoviewsthatchangeaviewer’sperspective:one,asweepingvistadownthroughthebuildingarchitecturetotheCalderwoodCourtyard;andtheother,animmersivelookatthecollectionsdigitallyprojectedonawall.HeretheHarvardArtMuseumswillassembleandpresentdigitalinformationaboutthemuseums’holdingsinexperimentalandimaginativeways.IncollaborationwithuniversitypartnerssuchasmetaLab—aresearchunitdedicatedtoinnovationandexperimentationinthearts,media,andhumanities—themuseumswilltestnewmodesofinquiryanddisplay.Forinstance,workingwithaninterdisciplinarygroupofgraduatestudents,metaLabisdevelopingCurarium,adigitalplatformthatcanbeusedtoannotate,curate,andaugmentworksofart.DirectorJeffreySchnapp(RomanceLanguagesandLiteratures;HarvardGraduateSchoolofDesign)andAssociateDirectorMatthewBattlescallit“acollectionofcollections”;itwillencourageconnectionsbothbetweenobjectsintheHarvardArtMuseums’collectionsandwiththoseofothermuseumsatandbeyondHarvard.

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Experienceswillrangefromafullynavigablevirtualstorageenvironmenttoabstractvisualizationsofcollectionsdata.Onthiswall,visitorsmightchoosetobrowsethemuseums’250,000objectsatonce,seeaggregatedcollectionsfromdifferentangles,orexaminehiddendetailsrelatedtoawork’screationthatcanbecapturedonlybyradiography.Attimestheprojectionwallwillbeopentostudents,professors,andvisitingartistsasamediumforcreatinginteractiveworksbasedonthemuseums’collections.

New MediaAtdesignatedtimes,theLightboxGallerywillbeprogrammedtopresentadigitalworkofart,eitheraloneoralongsideacomplementaryartobject.Juxtapositionofdigitalimageandobjectcancreateadynamicspaceforviewerstoconsidertheoriginalobjectintheageoftechnology.ThislineofinquirycanalsobepursuedintheMaterialsLab,wheretechnologyisexploredasanartisticmediuminitsownright,andnotsimplyasatooltodocumentorreproduceworksinothermedia.

Materials Lab (M/Lab) TheM/Labisasitetoexplorematerialingenuityandinnovationinartmedia,withthegoalofenrichingtheinterpretationandappreciationofartmakinganditsproducts.Visitingartists,alongwithconservators,conservationscientists,andtechniciansfromtheStrausCenterforConservationandTechnicalStudies,willsharetheirmaterialinvestigationsandleadexperimentswithHarvardfacultyandstudents,researchers,andvisitors.Thehands-on,activelearningexperiencesconductedintheM/Labwillcombinetalks,demonstrations,andexperimentswithcloselookingatworksofartonviewinthegalleries,theArtStudyCenter,andtheStrausCenter.

Materials Rotation AspecialfeatureofthepermanentcollectionsinstallationattheArthurM.SacklerMuseumin2012–13wasthedisplayofdisparateobjectsmadefromthesamematerial,suchasbronze,wood,orwax.ThesematerialrotationsofferedafreshlookintotheHarvardArtMuseums’collectionsandencouragedvisitorstoexaminecloselyandponderartists’choiceofmaterials,technique,andprocess.ThisfocusonmaterialingenuitywillbecarriedovertotheM/Lab’srotatingcalendarofmaterialsinvestigations.Featuredmaterialswilldrivetherangeofpublicprogramsofferedbyartists(whetherfaculty,student,orlocal)andconservatorswhotesttheconditions,limitations,andpossibilitiesofmaterialsnewandold.Traditionalmaterialscouldincludewax,ink,andpaint;nontraditionalmaterialsmightbefoodproductsorfoundobjects;andnewmediacouldincludeprojectionanddigitaltechnologies.

Visiting Artist WorkshopEachyearHarvardUniversityhostscloseto100visitingartists.Theyareinvitedbyresearchcentersoracademicdepartmentsandarein-residenceanywherefromafewdaystotheentireyear.Incooperationwiththehostdepartments,theHarvardArtMuseumswillinviteartistsinterestedinworkingwithstudentsand/orcommunitymembersinthemuseums’spacestodiscoverthepotential—orconstraints—oftheartists’chosenmedia.Theseweekend-longworkshopswillbringtogetherartistsand“apprentices”tofostercollaborationandmaterialexploration.

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Calderwood Courtyard TherenovationandexpansionprojectbothpreservesanddramaticallyenhancesthedesignofthehistoricCalderwoodCourtyardanditsfunctionasacenterofactivityandcirculation.Fromherevisitors—Harvardfacultyandstudents,communitymembersandinternationalguests,andfamiliesandstudentgroups—willbeorientedtogalleries,guidedtours,programs,andclassesastheyenterfromeitherQuincyorPrescottStreet.Theycanpassthroughthecourtyardwithoutenteringthegalleriestoenjoythecafeandshop,attendperformances,andviewstrikingworksofartinstalledinthiswelcoming,publicspace.

IntersectionsStudent-drivenIntersectionperformanceswilltransformtheCalderwoodCourtyard,ahubofactivityandcirculation,intoasiteforperformanceartthatrespondstothevisualartinstallationsinthesurroundinggalleries.Withinthecourtyard’sarcade,Harvardstudentartistswillinterpretworksofartinotherexpressivemedia,fromhip-hopmusictoBhangradance,fromexperimentaltheatertospokenword.Designedtobe adhocanddynamic,Intersectionperformanceswillgeneratepossibilitiesforcollaborationacrosstraditionalartisticboundaries.

AM/PM TheHarvardArtMuseumswillinviteHarvardstudentsforeveningsoflivelytalks,studentperformances,andfilmscreenings.WorkingwithcampuspartnerssuchastheHarvardRadcliffeDramaticSocietyandtheInstituteofPolitics,themuseumswillofferexperiencesintheMaterialsLabonthelowerlevel,theLightboxGalleryatthesummitofthebuilding,andeverywhereinbetweentoencouragestudentstoconnectwiththemuseumsandwitheachother,asdayturnsintonight.

An Engaged CommunityWewarmlywelcomeourneighborsandout-of-towngueststofullyexperienceournewspacesforlearningandteaching.FromtheCalderwoodCourtyard,visitorsareinvitedtoexplorethegalleriesontheirown,facilitatedbyastudentguide,orwithadigitaltour.DailyprogramsmightincludeanUp-CloseprogramintheArtStudyCenter,aworkshopintheMaterialsLab,orafilminMenschelHall.

Certainmuseumprogramsarebeingdevelopeddirectlywithlocalpartners,suchasthegraduatestudentteachingprogram,whichsupportsCambridgeRindge&LatinSchoolteachersandstudentsinthegalleries.OtherprogramsleverageuniversityconnectionstoBoston-areagroups,suchasthemuseums’workwithPhillipsBrooksHouse,astudent-runnonprofitorganizationcommittedtoserviceandsocialaction.Therotatingscheduleofspecialexhibitions,summerinstallations,andfilmswillalsopresentnewpossibilitiesfortheHarvardArtMuseumstodevelopactivitieswithlocalorganizationsandcivicagencies.

ThroughbothprogramsandtheHarvardArtMuseums’magazine Index,themuseumswillgivethepublicopportunitiestoshareopinionsandideas—andthechancetojoinanengagedcommunityofmuseumgoers.

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Somerville Research Facility Studentsandscholarsareinvitedtovisitthemuseums’SomervilleResearchFacility,asiteforresearchintotheportionsofthethreemuseums’collectionsstoredthere,togetherwiththeirconnectedresearchmaterials.Italsoprovidesaccesstothemuseums’researchcenters,includingtheArchaeologicalExplorationofSardis,thearchivesandresearchresourcesoftheCenterfortheTechnicalStudyofModernArt,andtheHarvardArtMuseumsArchives.Visitswillallowfordeeperobject-andmaterials-basedresearchandstudy,offeringadifferentviewoftheinstitutionanditsactivities.TheSomervillefacilityisaccessiblebyashortshuttleridefromcampus.

Archaeological Exploration of SardisTheArchaeologicalExplorationofSardis(AES),sponsoredbytheHarvardArtMuseumsandCornellUniversity,hasbeenexcavatingsince1958.Itsmissionsinceinceptionhasbeentoexplore,record,andinterpretthetopography,history,andmaterialcultureoftheancientcityofSardisinwesternTurkey,oneofthegreatcentersoftheancientworld.AESalsoensuresthepreservationofitsantiquitiesandmakesthemintelligiblethroughconservationandrestoration;teachesandtrainsinthedisciplinesassociatedwitharchaeologicalfieldwork;maintainsexpeditionrecordsforresearch;andpublishesandpresentstheresultsoffieldworkandresearch.Scholars,students,andspecialists(anthropologists,archaeologists,arthistorians,architects,classicists,conservators,numismatists,epigraphers,objectillustrators,andphotographers)participateintheexcavationandcontributetoitsextensivedocumentationandpublication.Drawings,fieldbooks,maps,plans,photographs,andreportsarehousedandaccessibleattheSardisoffice,theadministrativeandpublicationheadquartersoftheproject.

Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art TheCenterfortheTechnicalStudyofModernArt(CTSMA)wasfoundedin2001inpartnershipwiththeWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArtinNewYork.Itsmissionistwofold:tostudythematerialsandissuesassociatedwiththemakingandconservationofmodernworksofart;andtoserveasaresourceforconservators,scholars,andstudentsbycollecting,preserving,andpresentingrelevantresearchand materials.Theseincludeartists’materialsandinterviews,documentsrelatedtoconservationassessments andtreatments,andephemeraassociatedwiththecreativeprocess,allofwhichareaccessibleattheSomervilleResearchFacility.

Asanongoingendeavor,thecenteralsocontinuestheworkoftheArtistsDocumentationProgram(ADP),whichCTSMAdirectorCarolMancusi-Ungaroinitiatedin1990attheMenilCollection(Houston),withsupportfromtheAndrewW.MellonFoundation.TheprogramcarriesonasapartnershipbetweentheHarvardArtMuseums,theWhitneyMuseumofAmericanArt,andtheMenilCollection.TheADPwebsiteincludesinterviewswithprominentartistsabouttheirmaterialsandtechniques,aswellastheirintentforthefuturepreservationofworksofart,providingenhancedscholarlyaccesstodigitizedarchivalmaterials.TheCTSMAdirector’sofficewillbelocatedintheStrausCenterforConservationandTechnicalStudiesatthemuseums’Cambridgefacility(seep.14).

Harvard Art Museums ArchivesTheArchivescollects,organizes,andpreserveshistoricaldocumentsrelatingtotheFoggMuseum,theBusch-ReisingerMuseum,andtheArthurM.SacklerMuseum,makingthemavailabletostaff,students,scholars,andinterestedmembersoftheinternationalartcommunity.ItsmissionistodocumentandpromoteknowledgeandappreciationoftheHarvardArtMuseums’history,programs,andgoals,andtheprofessionalandpersonal

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accomplishmentsofitsprincipals.Holdingsincludeletters,photographs,scrapbooks,audio-andvideotapes,artifacts,architecturaldrawings,teachingmaterials,andstudentworks,andtheydatefromthefoundingoftheFoggMuseumin1895tothepresent.TheArchivesalsomaintainstheadministrativeandcuratorialrecordsoftheinstitution,documentingexhibitionhistory,departmentalactivities,andthemuseums’eventsandprograms.

Collections WorkroomsManyobjectsfromtheHarvardArtMuseums’collectionsarehousedinstate-of-the-artconditionsattheSomervillefacility.CollectionsWorkroomsatthissitecomplementtheArtStudyCenter(seep.12),providingaccesstoobjectsandcollectionsthatarelargeanddeepinscale,especiallyfragile,orrequirespecialhandling.Classesandindividualscholarswillbeabletostudytheseworkstogetherwithrelateddocumentationandsourcematerials.

Looking Ahead Theprogramsdescribedhereaimtocapturethemuseums’richhistoryandtakeadvantageofthenewopportunitiesaffordedbytherenovatedandexpandedfacility.Duringbuildingconstruction,themuseumspilotedprogramsandcreateddigitalprototypestotestideasoncampusandintheneighborhood.Thisphaseprovedcriticaltothedesignoflearningexperiencesanddemonstratedthepowerofseeingthemuseums’workasexperimentalandresponsive.Weembracetheopportunitytoworkcloselywithincomingandseasonedstudents,faculty,andcommunitymemberstoensurethattheinterpretationofthemuseums’extraordinarycollectionsisrelevantandfresh.

The most inspiring part is the potential for doing something extra ordinary for Cambridge kids. The location of the museums, just down the street from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, seems almost too perfect to be true. . . . I feel confident that with the strong sense of collaboration that already exists, we will be able to build something truly special in the future.

— Jeffrey Young, Superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools

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Quincy Street

harvardartmuseums.org

ContributorsJessicaLevinMartinez,DirectoroftheDivisionofAcademicandPublicPrograms

DeborahMartinKao,ChiefCurator,ActingHeadoftheDivisionofModernandContemporaryArt, andtheRichardL.MenschelCuratorofPhotography

WaqasJawaid,HarvardGraduateSchoolofDesign’14;formergraduateintern,DivisionofAcademicandPublicPrograms

©2014PresidentandFellowsofHarvardCollege.Allrightsreserved.[008]

One of the things that the Student Guide Program helped me realize is that I want to learn for the rest of my life, but also that I have this inability to keep it to myself. — Isabel Hebert ’13

Draft  as  of  September  11,  2014  

Preface  to  OPEN  OPEN  is  a  forthcoming  book  on  the  renovated  and  expanded  Harvard  Art  Museums.    The  art  museum  as  an  institution  has  undergone  dramatic  change  over  the  last  few  decades  in  the  United  States  and  around  the  world.  Once  thought  of  as  quiet  aesthetic  temples,  these  often  elite  sanctuaries  were  powerful  arbiters  of  taste  and  knowledge  not  simply  in  artistic  and  cultural  spheres,  but  in  popular  perceptions  as  well.  Art  museums  now  occupy  a  far  more  complex,  even  challenged  role  in  society.  The  university  art  museum  in  particular  has  hardly  been  immune  to  those  shifts.  It  has  been  forced  to  confront  not  only  the  altered  roles  and  purposes  of  museums,  but  also  the  evolving  nature  of  universities  and  pedagogy  in  a  rapidly  changing  world,  one  where  the  visual  is  perhaps  more  privileged  than  at  any  other  time.    This  book  attempts  to  capture  some  of  the  thinking  and  new  ideas  that  propelled  the  reinvention  of  the  Harvard  Art  Museums.  Far  more  than  a  renovation  and  expansion  of  a  physical  facility,  the  entire  enterprise  was  systematically  reconsidered—physically,  structurally,  operationally,  and  conceptually—by  museums  staff  over  the  last  decade.  The  goal  was  to  create  new  and  different  kinds  of  art  museums  for  Harvard  University.      The  Harvard  Art  Museums  have  played  a  leading  role  in  the  development  of  art  history,  conservation,  conservation  science,  and  even  in  the  evolution  of  the  art  museum  as  an  institution.  Key  figures  such  as  Edward  Forbes,  Paul  Sachs,  and  Agnes  Mongan  were  instrumental  in  building  the  museums’  reputation  and  profile  throughout  the  twentieth  century,  and  we  wanted  our  future  to  honor  and  expand  on  that  historic  purpose.      Part  of  a  rich  and  varied  museum  ecology  in  the  Boston  area,  the  Harvard  Art  Museums  are  comprised  of  three  separate  museums—the  Fogg,  Busch-­‐Reisinger,  and  Arthur  M.  Sackler  Museums—each  with  a  different  history,  collection,  guiding  philosophy,  and  identity.  The  museums’  collections,  among  the  largest  and  most  important  in  the  United  States,  are  a  powerful  teaching  and  learning  resource:  in  effect,  Harvard  has  a  major  metropolitan  museum  on  its  campus.  From  the  outset  of  the  planning  process,  we  wondered  how  we  could  use  this  great  resource  more  effectively  and  imaginatively—for  the  benefit  of  students,  faculty,  and  the  community.  What  are  the  viable  models  for  a  university  museum  at  the  beginning  of  the  twenty-­‐first  century?  What  is  the  role  of  original  works  of  art  in  an  advanced  education?  How  can  works  of  art  support  teaching  in  an  academic  context,  and  how  is  this  different  from  other  learning  experiences?    These  questions  generated  discussion  and  debate,  revealing  sharp  differences  of  opinion  and  philosophy.  Yet  certain  core  principles  and  beliefs  quickly  coalesced.  Despite  the  impressive  range  and  richness  of  the  museums’  collections,  it  was  evident  that  they  should  be  used  differently  than  those  of,  say,  a  large  public  or  civic  museum.  Our  purpose  should  not  be  simply  to  display  our  great  works,  but  to  deploy  them  in  innovative  ways  that  create  unique  teaching  and  learning  experiences.      

Draft  as  of  September  11,  2014  

Long  guided  by  a  teaching  and  research  mission,  the  museums  were  until  1990  led  by  Harvard’s  art  history  faculty,  who  remain  essential  partners  in  our  work.  This  historic  collaboration  in  training  undergraduates  and  emerging  scholars  in  art  history,  visual  thinking,  and  curatorial  and  conservation  practice  was  crucial  to  our  new  vision.  Equally  important,  however,  was  our  desire  to  create  the  conditions—both  physical  and  intellectual—for  new  seeing  and  thinking  experiences  for  all  students.  By  bringing  newly  enhanced  facilities  together  with  our  rich  collections  and  staff  expertise,  we  knew  that  the  Harvard  Art  Museums  could  play  an  even  greater  part  in  helping  students  develop  skills  different  from  those  generated  in  classrooms,  scientific  laboratories,  or  libraries.  And  to  arrive  at  this  conclusion,  we  drew  on  two  of  our  core  principles:  that  there  is  inherent  power  in  using  original  works  of  art  as  teaching  instruments  and  enduring  value  in  intense,  sustained  observation  as  part  of  the  learning  process.    We  needed  a  physical  facility  that  would  meet  the  requirements  of  twenty-­‐first-­‐century  users  and  pedagogy,  but  also  one  that  would  allow  us  to  work  differently  than  many  other  art  museums.  We  identified  three  goals  that  would  be  fundamental  to  the  future:  the  university’s  great  collections  had  to  be  made  far  more  accessible;  they  needed  to  be  put  in  service  to  all  students,  faculty,  and  the  community  (not  simply  to  the  specialists  we  train);  and  new  models  and  strategies  were  needed  to  encourage  cross-­‐disciplinary  work  among  Harvard’s  multiple  fields  and  faculties.  Indeed,  this  emphasis  on  cross-­‐fertilization  had  to  be  applied  internally  as  well;  our  three  constituent  museums  had  become  siloed,  with  little  of  the  collaborative  research  and  exploration  that  one  might  expect  such  celebrated  collections  to  warrant.  These  were  the  imperatives  embraced  early  on  in  the  planning  process,  and  they  collectively  shaped  all  subsequent  thinking  about  both  the  new  physical  facility  and  the  programs  that  will  animate  its  spaces.    With  this  new  facility,  all  three  museums  are  united  under  one  roof  and  as  a  single  destination.  Renzo  Piano  Building  Workshop  has  created  not  only  a  highly  functional,  state-­‐of-­‐the-­‐art  structure,  but  also  more  accessible  and  transparent  spaces.  What  had  previously  been  hidden—much  of  which  is  fundamental  to  the  workings  of  a  university  art  museum—has  now  been  revealed  and  put  to  new  purposes  for  future  generations.  While  the  new  Harvard  Art  Museums  have  a  number  of  distinctive  features  and  interpretive  platforms,  there  remains  much  of  what  originally  distinguished  this  institution—including  something  that  runs  counter  to  our  modern  lives:  an  invitation  to  slow  down  and  engage  in  the  kind  of  thoughtful  looking  and  thinking  that  works  of  art  can  uniquely  produce.    We  hope  that  the  new  Harvard  Art  Museums  will  no  longer  be  perceived  as  a  static  “treasure  house,”  or  as  a  long  past  president  of  Harvard  once  referred  to  it,  “an  elegant  playground  for  young  gentlemen,”  descriptions  that  in  the  past  have  implied  a  lack  of  serious  purpose  in  a  university  setting.  Our  intention  today  is  quite  different:  that  the  museums  will  instead  become  a  more  dynamic  and  closely  integrated  element  in  Harvard’s  educational  mission—and  that  they  will  be  viewed  as  essential  to  it.      Thomas  W.  Lentz  Elizabeth  and  John  Moors  Cabot  Director,  Harvard  Art  Museums  

Draft  as  of  September  11,  2014