In 1978 Kevin Consey began his tenure as director of the Gallery. Early on he was committed to reorganizing the entire collection. He was able to determine the scope of the collection by means of a complete inventory of the works on the Gallery’s premises as well as those at other campuses. He utilized professional museum practices to catalogue the artworks and created loan forms for works entering and leaving the Gallery. With an Advisory Committee consisting of members from the University faculty, administration, Board of Trustees and “The Friends,” he formulated a Hofstra University “Art Collection Management Policy.” It established a statement of purpose, collection goals and acquisition procedures for the Gallery to follow. In addition, the art storage space was completely revamped and refurbished. Consey left Hofstra in 1980, and Gail Gelburd became the new director. Throughout the next few years, a wide range of cultural exhibitions were installed in the Gallery including World War II Posters (1981), Paris: Nature and the City (1982), and Fragments of Eastern Religions (1983), which consisted of stone and metal works from the Hofstra collection. Gelburd also incorporated drama performances, demonstrations, tours and lectures to the exhibitions, to further enhance the educational component.
tion from the AAM in 1997. “The arts are jewels of societies that survive even in the ashes of the old,” said Christman recently. “It is the mission of the Hofstra Museum to preserve the past, exhibit and present and interpret the future. If you need to ask why a university needs a museum, then also ask why it needs a library, a faculty and Internet connectivity.” No description of the Hofstra collection would be complete without the mention of the many scenic sculptures and statues that grace portions of our 240-acre campus. Over the years, more than 60 donated works have been placed, with the majority emerging throughout the tenure of President James M. Shuart. Present day works include Lin Emery’s wind-activated kinetic sculpture, Tree, donated by Florence and Robert Kaufman; Antoni Milkowski’s Seven donated by Patricia Johanson and Eugene C. Goosen; and Robert White’s Con Grande donated by the Hofstra class of 1985. Two additional exhibition areas were added in the Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library for conference and permanent collection displays. With a collection of nearly 5,000 art objects acquired over the past 40 years, the Hofstra Museum will continue to flourish as new and inspiring works of art are acquired through purchases and donations.
After more than two years of preparation and anticipation, the Hofstra Museum received its certificate of accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM) in 1985. Conrad Felixmüller, Married Couple in Winter, 1919 Less than 10 percent of U.S. museums had achieved this distinction at that time. This important designation meant that the Hofstra Museum had “demonstrated a professional level of operation in accordance with the standards of excellence prescribed by the American Association of Museums.” A major exhibition titled: The Commitment to Excellence: Selections from the Permanent Collections was installed in the Emily Lowe Gallery and the Hofstra Cultural Center Gallery in the fall of 1985; which celebrated its achievement as well as the 50th anniversary of the founding of Hofstra. In 1992, David C. Christman ’62 the current director, officially took over. Christman saw to it that the basement storage area housing the sculptures were brought up to the latest archival standards by replacing wood bins with adjustable metal ones; he updated the humidity and temperature control system as well as the collection management software. Due in large part to his commitment and efforts, the Museum obtained its reaccredida-
Thailand, Head of Buddha, ca. 16th century
George Segal, Girl on a Chair, 1970
Johan Barthold Jongkind, Canal Scene in Holland, 1862
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