Bellarmine Museum Executive Summary

Summary

Fairfield University envisions a museum in Bellarmine Hall that will showcase art from the Medieval and Renaissance periods of Western Europe. On a rotating basis, other special collections will be exhibited in the museum. Disciplines from each of Fairfield's six schools will have access to this learning laboratory. The Art History Program in the College of Arts and Sciences will take an early lead on the integration of this new resource into the living and learning experience of our students.

Need

With the arts as a central component of the Jesuit educational experience and a key component in the current Fairfield University Strategic Plan, the University is poised to bring to fruition an expanded venue through which artistic works can be shared with our students and faculty, our alumni, and our community. A new museum is proposed for the lower level of Bellarmine Hall, the signature building on campus steeped in a rich history of American architectural tradition. The proposed museum and its exhibition programming will complement the exhibition schedule of largely modern and contemporary art currently available through the Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery, housed in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. In celebration of our proximity to New York City, considered by many to be the cultural capital of the nation, we have joined in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the most important museums in the world, to plan this new museum at Fairfield.

Project Description

The current collection of artwork owned by Fairfield has been acquired through the generous donations of various patrons of the University. Fairfield's highly accomplished faculty, with their rich and varied scholarly expertise and production, have established substantial contacts within their respective academic areas. These connections have made possible extraordinary collaborations, many of which include plans for the donation of works of art designed to enhance our students' classroom experiences. Much of the current and evolving, valuable collection remains in storage or on display in small spaces dispersed throughout the campus, bringing an opportunity for physical exhibition space where the thoughtful integration of these resources can become an effective centerpiece of the learning experience for our students and community.

Anticipated outcomes for the Bellarmine museum include curriculum enhancement and expansion, student-faculty research, student learning outcomes, community interest and engagement, and an enhanced national reputation for Fairfield's leadership in the arts.

The initial research and design of this project has been managed by the Department of Visual and Performing Arts under the direction of Dr. Jesús Escobar, chair. Dr. Escobar will continue to play a primary role in the over site of this initiative during the construction and implementation phase.

The project has been approved by the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors and the University. This project is one of the College's four priority initiatives for which funding is currently being sought from members of the Board of Advisors. The floor plan for the museum includes a variety of distinctive spaces that can be named for gifts.

For more information, contact Noel Appel, director of foundation relations, at (203) 254-4000, ext. 2025, or nappel@mail.fairfield.edu.