Weatherspoon Art Museum facts for kids
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| Location | 1005 Spring Garden St Greensboro, NC 27412 |
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The Weatherspoon Art Museum is a large art museum located at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. It is known for its amazing collection of modern and contemporary art, which means art made from the late 1800s all the way to today. The museum focuses especially on art from American artists.
Each year, the Weatherspoon hosts more than 15 different exhibitions, or shows, for people to enjoy. It also offers fun educational events all year long. The museum is highly respected and was officially recognized for its excellence by the American Alliance of Museums.
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The Museum's History
The museum was started in 1941 by Gregory Ivy, who was the head of the Art Department at what was then called Woman's College. It began in a small space that used to be a science lab! This was the very first art gallery in the entire University of North Carolina system.
A year later, the gallery was named after Elizabeth McIver Weatherspoon. She was a talented art teacher who had graduated from the college. Her brother, Charles Duncan McIver, had been the college's president.
Growing into a New Space
By 1985, the museum needed more room for its growing art collection. It received money to build a brand-new home, the Anne and Benjamin Cone Building. This building was designed by the famous architect Romaldo Giurgola.
The new building is huge, with over 42,000 square feet of space. It has six art galleries, a beautiful sculpture garden, a large open atrium, and an auditorium for events.
Exploring the Art Collections
The Weatherspoon has always focused on collecting modern and contemporary art. Today, its collection includes nearly 6,000 artworks. These pieces show the history of art from the start of the 20th century to now.
You can see works by famous artists like Willem de Kooning, Andy Warhol, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Rauschenberg, and Cindy Sherman.
The Dillard Collection of Art on Paper
Since 1965, a company called Dillard has helped the museum host a special show every two years called Art on Paper. This exhibition features amazing art made on or with paper by artists from all over the world.
The museum has bought nearly 550 pieces from these shows. This collection includes art by famous names like Louise Bourgeois, Frank Stella, and Robert Smithson.
The Etta and Claribel Cone Collection
In 1950, the museum received a wonderful gift of 242 artworks from the famous Etta and Claribel Cone. This collection includes sculptures and prints by French artist Henri Matisse. It also has many drawings and prints by other modern artists like Pablo Picasso.
Lenoir C. Wright Collection of Japanese Prints
Lenoir C. Wright was a professor at the university who loved Japanese art. He collected hundreds of Japanese woodblock prints to help teach his students. Before he passed away in 2003, he gave his entire collection to the museum.
The collection has over 500 prints. It features work by master printmakers like Hiroshige, Hokusai, and Yoshitoshi.
The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection
In 2008, the Weatherspoon was chosen to receive a special gift. Art collectors Dorothy and Herbert Vogel gave away parts of their huge collection to one museum in every state. The Weatherspoon was the museum chosen for North Carolina.
The Vogels gave the museum 50 works on paper. These pieces were created by artists like Richard Tuttle and Lynda Benglis.
Sculpture Garden
Outside the museum, you can walk through the sculpture garden. This 7,000-square-foot garden is filled with plants, flowers, and amazing sculptures by modern artists. It's a peaceful place to enjoy art in nature.
