Dennos Museum Center facts for kids
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| Established | 1991 |
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| Location | Northwestern Michigan College 1410 College Drive Traverse City, Michigan 49686 |
| Type | Art Museum |
| Collections | Inuit art, Modern art, Contemporary art |
| Collection size | 3,100 |
| Architect | Bob Holdeman |
The Dennos Museum Center is a cool art museum and cultural spot in Traverse City, Michigan. It's right on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). The museum is famous for its amazing collection of Inuit art. It first opened in 1991 and always has new exhibits of modern and contemporary artworks.
The museum has three galleries that change their exhibits often. There's also a sculpture court and a fun Interactive Discovery Gallery for kids and adults. Plus, there are special galleries for Inuit art and other permanent collections. The museum owns 3,100 pieces of art. Almost 2,000 of these are Inuit art prints and sculptures. The museum's changing exhibit spaces cover about 8,000 square feet (740 m2). There's also 12,000 square feet of space for the museum's permanent collection.
The Dennos Museum Center is also a cultural hub. It offers exhibits and programs about science and performing arts. It has the Milliken Auditorium, a concert hall with 367 seats. This hall hosts a yearly concert series. It features world, jazz, and blues music. It also holds events for NMC and the community. The museum also looks after 14 outdoor sculptures. These artworks by artists from around the world and Michigan are on the college campus. In 2000, the museum won the Governor's Award for Arts and Culture. This award came from ArtServe Michigan.
Contents
History of the Museum
How the Museum Started
The museum's collection of Inuit art began in 1960. Bernie Rink, a librarian at Northwestern Michigan College, started it. He collected sculptures and prints for a library fundraiser. Mr. Rink organized a yearly sale of Canadian Inuit Art. He kept some of the items each year. This helped the Inuit art collection grow. By 1991, it had 500 pieces. By 2015, it had 1,500 pieces.
In the 1980s, people realized Traverse City needed an art and cultural center. Barbara and Michael Dennos were very important in making this happen. They helped a lot with funding the museum. Michael Dennos was an executive at Chef Pierre, part of the Sara Lee Corporation.
In 1988, Eugene Jenneman became the first director. Northwestern Michigan College hired him. He worked with architect Bob Holdeman to design the museum. After raising $6.5 million from the community, the museum opened in July 1991. It was named after Michael and Barbara Dennos. The Barbara and Michael Dennos Museum Center was one of the first places in the United States to show Inuit art to the public.
The Dennos Museum Center building was designed by Bob Holdeman. It includes the Milliken Auditorium. This 367-seat hall hosts concerts, lectures, and educational events.
Museum Grows Bigger
The museum started raising money in 2015. They received big gifts from local supporters. Barbara and Dudley Smith gave $1 million for the Inuit art gallery to get bigger. Diana and Richard Milock gave $2 million. The museum expanded its Inuit Gallery. It added 10,000 square feet of new exhibit space. This $5 million expansion opened in 2018. The new part for the Inuit Collection was named the Barbara and Dudley Smith Wing for Inuit Art.
Art Collections
The Dennos Museum created one of the first public collections of Inuit Art in the United States. Most of the art in the permanent collection comes from Inuit people. They live in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, and Alaska. The museum also has art by Canadian artists. These artists are linked to the Woodlands style. Examples include Norval Morrisseau and Carl Ray. There are also works by important Michigan artists like Charles McGee.
Some famous Inuit artists in the Dennos Museum's collection are:
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The museum also takes care of fourteen large outdoor sculptures. These are on the grounds of Northwestern Michigan College. They include works by Hanna Stiebel and Clement Meadmore.
In 2021, the museum started an online database. This lets people see part of the collection. It has images of about 800 Inuit artworks on paper.
Museum Leadership
The museum is led by executive director Craig Hadley. He used to be a curator at the art museum at DePauw University in Indiana. Mr. Hadley took over in late 2019. He followed Eugene Jenneman, who was the museum's first executive director. Mr. Jenneman was hired in 1988 to help finish the museum's design and building. He oversaw many big expansions during his 27 years there.
In 2021, the museum started working to get accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. This process takes several years. They published a mission statement approved by their board. It says the museum "builds community, sparks conversation, and inspires change for audiences of all ages through its exhibitions, programs, and the collection and preservation of art."
