Get a Sneak Peek at Exhibition
Unexpected art is a regular feature of the Arts Blog. In this segment, we explore a new feature of the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art on the UC Davis campus.
People expect to see art at a museum, but they don't necessarily expect to see how it gets there. At the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, visitors can get a view into the Exhibition Design and Fabrication Shop, where the furniture that supports the art is built by preparators. Visitors can see the construction of exhibitions now through Friday, November 22, from 1:30 to 5 p.m. for Stephen Kaltenbach: The Beginning and The End. For that exhibition, which opens in the museum Jan. 26, 20 units of display furniture are being constructed. Workers are in week three of that construction. In the next phase, wooden boxes will be painted then, at last, topped by plexiglass. The exhibition is designed by Gordon Chung.
The behind-the scenes views have been brought to life by Exhibition Manager Luke Turner, who said “the architecture of the museum intentionally provides visitors with a view of its inner workings.” Toward the rear of the museum is a perfect example of this transparency. "The window in the roll-up gate allows our visitors observation into preparator activity from the art-gallery space," he said.
For other Unexpected Art features, see the Arts Blog.