Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art facts for kids

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is a museum found on the main campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). It first opened its doors in 1967.

This museum was originally a natural history museum. It focused on the plants, animals, and environment of Nevada and the wider Southwestern United States. In 2011, the Barrick Museum joined the UNLV College of Fine Arts. It became a main part of the "Galleries at UNLV," which includes six galleries and this museum.

The Museum's Story

The idea for a natural history museum at UNLV started with a collection of items from the Desert Research Institute (DRI). This institute is a research center for the Nevada university system. In September 1967, DRI opened a small museum near the university. It showed local desert animals and Native American artifacts.

In 1969, UNLV took over the museum's management. The museum began to grow its collections. A big moment happened in 1979. A private collection of pre-Columbian art was given to the museum. This gift came from Mannetta Braunstein, a former UNLV student, and her husband Michael. These pieces became the start of a larger collection of ancient art from Mesoamerica and Aridoamerica.

In the late 1970s, the museum moved to a new building on the UNLV campus. This building used to be the university's gym. Renovations for the museum finished in 1981. More changes and additions were made later, including a research lab wing in 1994.

The museum's collections of cultural items grew a lot from 1979 onwards. They added many cultural and historical artifacts. These items represent Native American and ancient Mesoamerican cultures.

In 1989, the museum was renamed to honor Marjorie Barrick. She was a generous supporter of the university. In 1980, Marjorie Barrick, a well-known philanthropist, gave UNLV a large gift. This money helped fund a series of public talks at the university. Famous speakers like Jimmy Carter and Mikhail Gorbachev have given these talks.

In 2011, the Barrick Museum closed for a big change. It stopped being a natural history museum. Instead, it became part of the College of Fine Arts at UNLV. It reopened in 2012 as a contemporary art museum. It had new renovations, from its collection rooms to the exhibition hall.

After the Las Vegas Art Museum closed in 2009, its art collection needed a new home. In 2012, this collection moved to the newly updated Barrick Museum. This was part of a partnership between the two.

In 2017, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art celebrated its 50th birthday. It was "rebranded" and added "'of Art'" to its name.

Since 2017, the museum has worked with the Clark County School District. This helps more K-12 students visit the museum. For many students, the Barrick is their first museum experience. In 2020, the museum also partnered with the Las Vegas Womxn of Color Arts Festival. This group helps local artists who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

Today, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is the only art museum in Las Vegas.

Amazing Collections

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art has several important collections:

• The Barrick Art Collection
  • This collection mostly features artists connected to the Las Vegas area. It shows the art created in and inspired by Southern Nevada.

• The Barrick Cultural Collection
  • This collection started in 1969. It includes cultural objects from the American Southwest and Mesoamerica. The collection of ancient art from before Columbus arrived began in 1979. It was a gift from Dr. Michael C. and Mannetta Braunstein.
  • Today, the museum has a huge collection of pre-Columbian objects from almost every culture in ancient Latin America. It also includes Mexican dance masks, Guatemalan, Bolivian, and Navajo textiles, and Paiute and Hopi baskets. These collections offer great information for many different studies.

• The LVAM Collection
  • This collection includes works by artists from around the world, like Llyn Foulkes and William T. Wiley. It also has many pieces by UNLV graduates.

• The Vogel Collection
  • The Barrick Museum is home to the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel 50x50 Collection. In 2010, UNLV received 50 contemporary artworks from these collectors.
  • Starting in 1962, Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and his wife Dorothy, a librarian, began collecting modern art. They used all of Herb's salary to buy art. Over a few decades, they gathered about 4,000 artworks!
  • The couple created a plan to give 50 artworks to one museum in each of the 50 states. This program became known as Vogel 50x50. The collection at UNLV includes art by famous artists like Lynda Benglis and Richard Tuttle.

Past Exhibitions

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art hosts many different exhibitions. Here are a few examples from recent years:

• 2020
  • Lance L. Smith: In the Interest of Action
  • FUTURE RELICS: Artifacts for a New World
  • Ashley Hairston Doughty: Kept to Myself

• 2019
  • Stars on the Ground: Works by John Torreano
  • Justin Favela and Ramiro Gomez: Sorry for the Mess
  • Axis Mundo: Queer Networks in Chicano L.A.

• 2018
  • Jubilation Inflation
  • Andrew Schoultz: In Process: Every Movement Counts
  • VESSEL: Ceramics of Ancient West Mexico

Museum Spaces

The museum has several areas for visitors:

• Marjorie Barrick Museum Auditorium
• Marjorie Barrick Museum Exhibition Hall