Every day, hordes of students flow in and out of the Festival Conference and Student Center to meet up with friends, study or grab a bite to eat. Upon entering or exiting the building, many have passed by the Lisanby Museum, but few probably have taken the time to appreciate the full scope of the installation.
Many artistic and cultural artifacts from around the world have been donated to JMU throughout its history, but until 20 years ago none of them had a specialized home. In 2003, the university received works from the JMU Foundation, and the Madison Art Collection was born. Deemed an academic unit, it found a home within the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Virginia Soenksen, director of the MAC and Lisanby Museum, takes great pride in overseeing multiple installations. “On average, it takes three years to bring an exhibition from concept to completion. … It always starts with research, because the more we know about the objects, the easier it is to find the threads connecting them,” Soenksen said. “As we move closer to the exhibition, we carefully consider the visitor experience, spatial design and the display needs of the objects. … Lastly, is the installation, which typically takes a whole week.”
The MAC boasts treasures from Africa, Central and East Asia, Europe and the Americas. “As the primary [source of] visual arts resources on campus, MAC’s mission is to serve the academic, local and global community by researching, collecting, conserving, interpreting and exhibiting tangible and intangible heritage,” Soenksen said.
The current display, “Hanbok Saenghwal: Korean Fashion Then and Now,” offers the Madison community an opportunity to engage with global art forms and cultures. More information can be found here.
The museum welcomes students, staff and community members alike, striving to make a lasting impact on all those who visit. “I hope they leave with curiosity, a desire to learn more about what they have seen,” Soenksen said. “I hope [the current] display prompts visitors to see more, read more and engage more with Korean art and culture. … I hope they leave with plans to return and see what we have in store for them next.”
Among other improvements, Soenksen said the museum is working to increase access to the artwork using an e-museum platform that will allow any person with internet capability to view the collection.
The Lisanby Museum is named for James and Gladys Kemp, and is located in Room 1108 of the Festival Conference and Student Center. The Madison Art Collection administrative office can be found in Room 1010.