Dr. James Mundy, director of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College, spoke on October 5 as part of the William G. Roehrick '34 Lecture Series. Dr. Mundy was the first speaker in a series of lectures titled "College Museums Collections and Directions." The goal of the series is to experience some of the changing collections at other small museums.
Mundy began his lecture with a discussion of the history of the art museum at Vassar. Vassar opened in 1864 with a museum of original works of art, which "set a precedent we continue to return to," said Mundy, who quoted an unofficial Vassar mantra, "going to the source," to describe the emphasis on source materials. The museum building underwent four incarnations since its inception, and in 1993 moved to a new building, adjacent to the original museum. Mundy presented several images of the museum at different stages. The current museum has works from all disciplines of art, including architecture, painting, prints and drawing, and photography.
Mundy then went on to offer some advice about building a museum collection. "The key factor is to get the alumni body, to get friends, who believe in what you're doing," he said. The first piece of advice was to think about things over the long term. "A small college art museum can be light on its feet. Move quickly when an acquisition is possible," advised Mundy, who cited several examples from his career of when moving quickly paid off.
Mundy said it is important to trust in your curators, who can help you stay ahead of the curve. He gave the example of a 1970's curator who was interested in photography when photography was not as popular, and acquired several pieces for the Vassar museum which are now worth much more. He also cautioned against looking at particular artists because of an important name. "You should always be looking at an object as an object, not as the name attached to it," Mundy said.
It is much easier for a small college museum to change directions than a large museum, and Mundy suggested using this advantage. "Never be afraid to embark on a new direction. If you're ready to do it, you should leap at it," said Mundy.
Mundy closed with two important pieces of advice. "In the end, the thing that is most important is your students," he said, "If the seeds are planted well, if the students are sensitive and well-instructed, they will in turn return the favor to the college." Finally, Mundy returned to his original point. "Source material is key. Go to the source. Always maintain the quality, because that is what you're students will be exposed to," he said.
-- by Laura Trubiano '07
