The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art will open at Hamilton College on October 6, 2012. Designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates, the 30,537-square-foot museum will put object-based learning at the fore, promoting interdisciplinary research and the cross-fertilization of concepts and ideas vital to a liberal arts education. The museum will also invite emerging and established artists to develop projects specifically for the museum.
"The Wellin Museum is a new model for the museum of the future," commented the Wellin's founding director Tracy Adler. "At the core of our mission are exploration and experimentation. The museum is designed to be a teaching tool and a laboratory, with multiple spaces for engagement, from open archives to flexible gallery space, two seminar rooms, and a smart classroom. The Wellin provides a unique opportunity for students to develop critical thinking, aesthetic discernment, and creative expression and build new bridges between disparate ideas and schools of thought. We look forward to collaborating with faculty in diverse areas of study on exhibitions and events."
The museum is entered through a striking 27-foot-high archive hall that serves as visible storage for a majority of the museum's permanent collection. A 6,200-square-foot flexible, exhibition space will host two major exhibitions each academic year and provide space for frequently rotating exhibitions that serve the Hamilton community. A second-floor lounge will overlook an exterior sculpture court and offer a gathering place for communal interaction and exchange.
Photos: John Bentham