Winter / Spring 2009

The year 2008 included some wonderful achievements for the Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University. Thanks to the efforts of curator Michael Beam, the CAM was one of only two institutions in Western New York to receive a Photographic Legacy Award from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Through this award, the museum acquired 158 original Polaroid and black and white photographs taken by Warhol and valued at $185,000. According to Warhol Foundation President Joel Wachs, the aim of the legacy awards “…is to enable a wide range of people from communities across the country to view and study this important yet relatively unknown body of Warhol’s work.” This goal beautifully compliments the CAM’s vision of making contemporary artistic expressions more accessible to our audiences.
 
With the addition of the Warhol photography and the donation of a large-scale outdoor sculpture by artist Betty Gold, the museum’s permanent collection now numbers 5,600 works. The installation of Gold’s donated sculpture—an abstract, geometric-inspired work fashioned from welded steel—was celebrated in a full page announcement in the November issue of “Art in America” featuring a striking image of the bright blue artwork against the museum’s white and grey marble façade.
 
The Castellani Art Museum serves the Niagara University community as well as public audiences. In fall 2008 we greatly strengthened relationships with Niagara University faculty through active/integrative learning partnerships inspired by Canadian artist Max Streicher’s gigantic inflatable sculpture of a dung beetle—his visual reinterpretation of the Franz Kafka novella, “Metamorphosis.” Among the projects were a discussion asking, “Is it Art?” by students enrolled in a Philosophy of Art class and an exhibition of model microbes by students from the Department of Biology. CAM staff members and faculty partners presented the results of their successful collaboration at the 8th Annual Niagara University International Conference on Teaching and Learning this January.
 
Museum audience statistics for the last fiscal year are impressive. Over 18,000 people visited the museum; 2,000 school children enjoyed interpretive tours of exhibitions led by trained volunteers; more than 200 children and adults with special needs visited from Community Services in Buffalo, Orleans/Niagara BOCES, Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara and ten other organizations; 500 junior high students from Niagara Falls High School, who do not have art classes included in their curriculum, benefitted from an arts-in-education partnership with the CAM; Visitors travelled from 31 different states and 5 countries to enjoy the museum’s collection and special exhibitions.
 
Finally, you will notice that the look of our newsletter is in transition as we work towards a final new design. Also coming soon—thanks to our Coordinator of Publicity and Events, Susan Clements—is a new and much-improved CAM website.               

Kate Koperski, Director