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Printer-Friendly ModeLocal museum host to masters
January 15, 2008 —
The Saginaw Art Museum is no Art Institute of Chicago, but what it doesn't have in size, it makes up for with gusto.
From the road, the Saginaw Art Museum is definitely a unique building to behold. The central building looks old, based on its architectural design, but then there are two modern looking wings that stretch out from the central structure with glass concourses leading to larger buildings at either end. So, why is it that I had never been compelled to visit it?
Well, I finally did a week ago, and a new question has entered my mind: why has no one at SVSU ever told me to before now? I certainly wouldn't have expected to find a piece by Picasso in Saginaw, but the Saginaw Art Museum has one, as well as pieces by Eduardo Manet, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall, Roy Lichtenstein and Henri Matisse among others. The museum also has a 1,200-book art, non-lending library open to the public with copying available.
"This is as good as it gets if you're not in a big city," Les Recker, executive director of the museum said.
The building itself is one of the museum's finest pieces in its permanent collection. Built around 1905 by renowned architect Charles Adams Platt for the Ring family, a prosperous lumbering Saginaw family at the turn of the 20th century, the house and garden were designed with Italian villas in mind. It became the Saginaw Museum in 1947, when two of the Ring sisters donated it to the city (originally housing historic and music pieces as well), and the Saginaw Art Museum in the early 70s.
Recker notes that the museum is not funded by taxes, but is "totally supported by the community."
Therefore, the museum's primary audience and aim is the Saginaw community.
"We try to mine our collection for different types of themes and art to help enlighten the various community constituencies," Recker said.
Still, the museum also encourages SVSU students to visit. While they see a fair amount tours for art appreciation courses, recently held a workshop for SVSU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (as well as sponsor summer courses for the program) and see the occasional art student working on a project or paper, student attendance doesn't seem to be high.
"I seldom see too many students when I'm around," Ryan Kaltenbach, the museum's assistant curator said.
Recker believes that the students that do visit are from other areas,not necessarily from Saginaw.
The museum is always holding various events, exhibits and presentations. It holds four main exhibits every year, including The Spirit of India and A Sense of Place: Landscapes from the Permanent Collection which opens on the 27th, as well as smaller exhibits throughout the year.
"On the last Friday of every month, we have a Lunch and Lecture," Recker said. "We have guest speakers lecture on history, art, our museum and work, etc."
But perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the museum occurs this year on March 6, when the museum holds its annual Cheeseburger and Margaritaville Fundraiser from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event costs $45 and has a Jimmy Buffet theme.
"The whole museum is decorated with fake palm trees, leis are brought out of storage and it's all you can eat cheeseburgers and all you can drink margaritas," Recker said. "Anyone 21 and over is more than welcome to attend."
The Saginaw Art Museum is located at 1126 North Michigan Avenue, just south of Covenant Healthcare. It is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission for students and seniors is $3. General admission is $5.