What should be the identity of the Anderson Gallery in the upcoming years?
“One goal is to finally have a gallery that matches the reputation of the School of the Arts,” said Richard Toscan, dean of the School of the Arts and vice provost for international affairs. “It’s sort of the last key pieces left in terms of infrastructure for the School of the Arts.”
For instance, it lacks an elevator and central-heating and air-conditioning system, which concerns Toscan.
“It’s difficult when it doesn’t meet the American Association of Museum standards,” he said.
Besides looking at a complete renovation of the gallery, Toscan said he is considering possible sites on Phase 2 of the Monroe Park Campus as well as one at Shockoe Bottom.
“We have a holding marker in the master plan for the location near the Jefferson Hotel,” Toscan said. “All of that requires some very big donors.
“Do you try to put a gallery as close as possible to where our students take a lot of their classes? Or do you put it where it’s much easier for the general public to get to?”
Toscan emphasized the donors’ roles and their influence in helping determine the direction to go with a gallery.
Zachary Monday, a junior sculpture major, said he wants to see more student input to Anderson Gallery’s future.
“Anderson is already so much more supportive to student work here,” Monday said. “We could especially use more space and be more student-oriented in planning.”
So what role would students play in the plans for the Anderson Gallery?
“If we build a new gallery,” Toscan said, “one of the things we’ve talked about is making the Anderson Gallery completely focused on student work.”
Amy Moorefield assumed the duties of the former director, Ted Potter, after he stepped down last July to join the art school faculty. She said she attempts to involve more students at the gallery.
“We’ve started coordinating an exhibition schedule that’s keen to what the students would like here,” said Moorefield, assistant director and curator of collections at the Anderson Gallery.
Moorefield and Toscan discussed the importance of last year’s student collaboration exhibition titled “Surface Charge.”
“Surface Charge” was different from past Anderson Gallery exhibitions because the internationally known artists worked directly with students on the walls of the gallery for a few weeks.
“It was a great opportunity for our students,” Toscan said, pointing out that they not only learned, but they also made friendships and established connections with major international artists.
While discussing the collaborative effort, Toscan said if a new gallery were built, he would like to see Anderson transition into a teaching gallery.
“We’re also looking at graduate and undergraduate students to be more involved in putting together exhibitions for the Anderson Gallery,” Toscan said.
For now, however, the Anderson Gallery will continue its pivotal role in Richmond until future decisions are completed.
“Every museum director,” he said, “is always using the Anderson Gallery as a safety valve to give access to contemporary art on a regular basis to the Richmond community.”