President Cecil O. Samuelson
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The arts and BYU: Museum of Art celebrates 15 years
By President Cecil O. Samuelson
Performing groups take BYU to the world. The Young Ambassadors performed in 11 concert halls in China last May.
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Taking BYU to the world
Brigham Young University has a long and rich tradition in artistic expression—from the visual arts, to vocal and instrumental music, to dance, to theater, and beyond. These endeavors have enriched not only students who have participated in them but also the people throughout the world who have enjoyed the performances and exhibits.
BYU groups have performed more than 11,700 shows across the globe since 1971. These performances have been in all 50 states and in 100 countries before audiences totaling more than 7 million people. Radio and television broadcasts of BYU groups’ performances have reached billions.
Thanks to these student performers, countless hearts have been touched and doors opened. The world is truly our campus. As an example, the Young Ambassadors and seven other BYU groups have performed multiple times in China over the past 30 years. These students have a strong reputation as wholesome and talented performers. BYU’s performing arts groups and the students who compose them are taking BYU to the world.
Welcoming the world
One popular campus venue for welcoming the world is the Museum of Art. This year marks the museum’s 15th anniversary.
At its dedication President Gordon B. Hinckley called it a “beautiful jewel” and said: “Who can deny that exposure to art in its many forms will add something of tremendous enrichment to life and personality? Art provides the patina, a glow to the underlying dull surfaces of life. Without it we lack a certain wholeness, a certain balance, a certain refinement. BYU could be and has been a great university without this facility; but it is a much greater university with it.”
Built entirely with funds donated by friends of the university, the Museum of Art has been a focal point for students, the community, and worldwide visitors since its opening in 1993. It attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year.
In a 2007 survey of 142 of North America’s finest museums, the Association of Art Museum Directors ranked the BYU Museum of Art first in attendance among university art museums. Student attendance was also the highest among university art museums.
Undoubtedly a great deal of teaching and learning takes place in the museum as students and faculty interact with the art and with each other. Of course, the museum also contributes to the broader community through exhibitions and educational outreach programs.
For all who visit, the museum is a tranquil setting where spiritual themes of discovery, creativity, and inspiration are experienced.
Performing groups take BYU to the world. The Young Ambassadors performed in 11 concert halls in China last May.
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Acquiring beauty
Museum director Campbell Gray explains: “The museum does not have an acquisitions budget. It purchases works when a generous donor wishes to help the museum acquire important works for the collection, or it receives works by gift when the work is relevant to the collection.”
It is wonderful to think that every piece of art in the university’s collection was a gift.
The university’s collection began nearly 100 years ago with the gift of a single painting. Over the years it has grown to include works by Maynard Dixon, Mahonri M. Young, J. Alden Weir, Carl Heinrich Bloch, C. C. A. Christensen, Daniel Ridgeway Knight, Minerva Teichert, and John Singer Sargent. Today the museum is the caretaker of a permanent collection of nearly 17,000 works of art, with special emphases on American and religious art.
Recent acquisitions not only have been beautiful pieces of art but also have great spiritual significance that will enrich our students, our community, and our visitors. The contemplative representation of the Savior in Head of Christ by Circle of Rembrandt came to the museum unexpectedly from a donor who purchased it at an auction. Another beautiful and illustrative painting, The Prodigal’s Return by Sir Edward Poynter, came to BYU because of the generosity of Ira A. and Mary Lou Fulton.
The museum’s signature piece, Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesda by Carl Heinrich Bloch, was unveiled at the museum in 2001. This image testifies of Christ’s divinity and concern for humanity; it is a perfect fit with the mission of this university. The heroic-size painting, which had hung in the Danish church for which it was painted in 1883, came to BYU thanks to involved and generous supporters Jack and Mary Lois Wheatley.
Said Jack: “We were very fortunate to be there at the right time and with the right price to be able to acquire it. . . . My involvement with the museum has given me a deeper understanding of the difference between mediocrity and excellence. I hope this painting will do that for other people. My wife and I think that it is one of the best investments we’ve made.”
Expressing thanks
When you are on campus, I hope you will visit the Museum of Art in this, its anniversary year. (If you cannot come, please visit online at moa.byu.edu.) As you experience its galleries, I am confident your appreciation for its artwork—for what it teaches—will grow.
Thank you for your commitment and support that have made this and other BYU jewels a reality. My thanks to every donor who supports the museum and the university, thus bringing additional opportunities and experiences to our students.
