Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, with it's innovative and modern architecture, looks to spring Michigan State University into the future by putting them on the cutting edge of art. With a predominant focus on Modernism, particularly post 1945, the museum is a huge departure from the previous art museum, Kresge, on campus. Personally, well the building is itself an architectural masterpiece making it art itself, I find it to be a stark contrast to the principal architecture on campus in an almost deliberately confrontational way. Perhaps if the building hearkened somehow to the arts and crafts, traditional style on campus with a hint of modernism incorporated, it would seem less cold and overstated.

As well, with the focus of the museum's exhibitions and collections being towards post WWII, the fabulous ancient and pre-modern collections developed by the Kresge are now without a permanent home, but rather spend their time hollowed away into collections. I understand the want for a more modernist style, but perhaps take a similar approach to the Grand Rapids Art Museum, in that, you can incorporate traditional pieces with modern accents to give them a new context of interpretation alongside your singularly modern pieces.

I am interested to see how the Broad develops and incorporates itself with the community and if they will have similar issues to the MSU Museum in bringing in the college student population? Hopefully with their eyes so focused on the modernity of art, the Broad will incorporate such things as gala martini nights and the Spring Fashion show put on by the Apparel and Textile department into their festivities to keep their "fresh, young and modern" mission alive, similar to the actions of the Met Gala.

www.broadmuseum.msu.edu
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