JORDAN SCHNITZER Museum of Art at Washington State University

THE JORDAN SCHNITZER MUSEUM OF ART

“The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art that we envision – an architectural beacon in the heart of campus – will complete the picture of a great university and provide a unique window into what it means to be a citizen of the world,” said Elson S. Floyd, late WSU president, about the new facility.

The new Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is more than a place to view and experience art. The design, by Jim Olson of Olson Kundig, and prominent campus location increase access to the arts for the entire Inland Northwest region. It is designed as a beacon for the arts, inviting visitors to experience the vitality of art at WSU. In both location and design, the building brings art to the forefront of university life. Olson’s design concept of a mirrored crimson cube rewards viewers with an ever-changing landscape with which to view themselves and the world around them. Life mirrors art, and in this case the building itself is a mirror for the campus as well as a hint of the treasures inside. The museum is located in the Crimson Cube on the WSU Pullman campus.

The museum permanent collection includes approximately 3,500 works. Among the most important are American paintings from the “Ash Can” School of the 1920s-30s; Goya’s “Los Disparates” print portfolio; 174 original photographs and prints by Andy Warhol; 201 works on paper by Jim Dine; a comprehensive collection of Northwest glass; and a recent gift of 39 works by Northwest artists from the Safeco collection.

quick facts

Admission to the museum is free to the public
The Crimson Cube is at the site of WSU's former Public Safety Building along Terrell Mall
Much of WSU's permanent collection of 3,500 pieces had to be stored in a vault and will now be on display
The museum is equipped with technology for climate and light control to preserve artwork
Private donors provided most of the funds for the $15-million project
This is the second of three art museums Jordan D. Schnitzer helped fund for a university in the Pacific Northwest

Charles Costanza with KSPS created a Northwest Perspectives feature film highlighting the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University.

Photographs of the new Museum of Art at WSU by Bob Hubner

Videos

For students who are interested in a career in the arts, the Museum of Art/WSU is a great place to start! Our student internship program provides WSU students each semester with a hands-on experience in the daily workings of an art museum.

The Museum of Art at WSU is going to be getting a new building - a crimson jewel box - by the spring of 2018. On October 1, 2016 they held a launch party to reveal the design to the public. This packaged aired on Murrow News 8 on October 3, 2016.