In the galleries

The visitor experience in the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art

Por University of Notre Dame

01 de December de 2023

The experience starts in the lobby . . .

Look down. The floor itself is an artwork called Sea of Stars. Contemporary artist Kiki Smith drew by hand 39 stars that were cast into bronze, drawing inspiration from medieval, Renaissance, and Byzantine depictions of the Madonna as protectress and Star of the Sea.

Classics still matter

The European Art Gallery uses bold accent colors to feature past masters. Often, the paintings were religious, reflecting St. Augustine’s philosophy that material objects help us contemplate the divine. William Faulkner’s quote reminds us that the past still shapes us.

Art around the world

The African Art Gallery spans more than 4,000 years of continuous artistic production throughout the continent. Starting with Cleopatra in ancient Egypt, it also includes contemporary sculptures that combine traditional cloth and patterns into new works that speak about everything from colonialism to the environment.

Shapes and sculptures

The International Modern and Contemporary galleries consist of four interconnected spaces in the lower level of the museum that focus on art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Emerging forms of art and sculpture include styles ranging from surrealism and formalism to cubism and abstract expressionism.

“One time or another, every object was contemporary.”

This quote from Joseph A. Becherer, museum director and sculpture curator, stresses that practical everyday things can be beautiful art. Many of the galleries reinforce this theme with a mix of past and present art.

Time to digest

The Modern Art Gallery exemplifies the spare and open layout of the museum. Some museums can be overwhelming, but Raclin Murphy will display only about 3 percent of its collection of more than 30,000 works on a rotating basis.

The chapel is art, too

Italian artist Mimmo Paladino created the Mary, Queen of Families Chapel. His arresting ceiling mosaic includes images symbolic of the Catholic liturgy, the Virgin Mary, Notre Dame’s founding congregation, and the Pokagon people native to the region.

Outside art

Sculptures around the museum celebrate the significance of sculpture at Notre Dame, including the many works by renowned Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, who taught and worked on campus from 1955 to 1962. The works also connect the museum to the nine-acre Charles B. Hayes Family Sculpture Park.

Come see the art

The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will hold a grand opening celebration on Dec. 1–3, 2023. Join us for a weekend of performances, activities, and refreshments that celebrate creativity and belonging. The museum is always free and open to all. Find more information on the website, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art.

Footnotes

Photography by Matt Cashore, University of Notre Dame

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FootNotes

Photography by Matt Cashore, University of Notre Dame