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Jacalyn C. Spoon

December 19, 2000

Introduction to Museology

Prof. Stojanovic

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

Cornell University, Ithaca New York

  On December 1, 2000 I interviewed Warren Bunn III, registrar of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University’s art museum (referred to here after as the Johnson). We had been introduced by Ithaca College Professor Nancy Ramage via e-mail in October 2000. Using e-mail Mr. Bunn and I were able to make the introductory remarks necessary to a working relationship. In preparation for our meeting I visited the Johnson several times. My trip to the Johnson in December was primarily a tour of the facilities. I am indebted to both Mr. Bunn and Mrs. Ramage for their support.

  Built in 1973 by Ieoh Ming Pei the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art was the third building built by this now renown architect and his firm. Preceding it were the Everson Museum in Syracuse New York and, The Air and Space Museum in Boulder Colorado. In 1975 the American Institute of Architects awarded the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art their Honor Award.

  The current museum grew from the aspirations of  Andrew Dickson White, the first President and co-founder of Cornell University. He strove to develop in the students under his tutelage “an appreciation of beauty”.[1] He believed that “art should serve a moral purpose”.[2]

  In 1866 the inspiration for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was being formed by American business man John Jay.[3] One year earlier, in 1865, Cornell University was founded. In keeping with the ideals of his contemporaries, A. D. White wished to educate the Cornell University students to fit the mold of successful business men, to be well rounded, motivated intellectuals, ensuring their success and acceptance into the educated culture. In the early years before a dedicated museum space was available White enriched the campus with paintings, and memorial plaques. He brought plaster casts of Greek and Roman sculpture onto the campus “to familiarize students with the importance of classical art”.[4]

  In 1894 Cornell University opened it’s first museum in McGraw Hall, a museum of plaster casts. Organized by Alfred Emerson Professor of art and archeology, it served primarily as a teaching tool. At the time it was considered to be “one of the finest collections in any American Institution”.[5] Plaster casts were readily accepted by public art museums when originals were not accessible.

  The first gift of art was made in 1911 with the oil painting ‘The Communion’. Exhibited at the Paris International Exposition in 1889, it had won the Grant Prix in the American section. This painting now hangs above the lobby in the Johnson.

  In the 1920’s a sculpture studio in Morse Hall held a series of traveling exhibitions, and in the 1930’s the College of Architecture maintained a gallery for contemporary art in Willard Straight Hall.

  In keeping with the educational philosophy of A. D. White, William P. Chapman, Jr. an 1895 Cornell graduate collected art works for their “enjoyment and beauty”.[6] The collection of Mr. Chapman was significant, with works by Whistler, Rembrandt, Dhrer, and Van Dyke as well as other masters ranging from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Mr. Chapman began donating small portions of his collection to the University in 1942. By the time of his death, in 1947, the college had been gifted 3111 prints, 52 etchings and 15 lithographs by Mr. Chapman. This gift is still a significant portion of the museums collection of prints to this day. This substantial gift prompted action and in 1953 the former residence of A. D. White became the colleges first museum of art.

  Under the direction of Alan R. Soloman a vigorous exhibition schedule was begun. Solomon believed that it was “necessary to attract and hold public interest”.[7] The exhibition schedule of the museum today is quite impressive exhibiting about 20 shows a year complete with lectures, luncheons, ceremonies and entertainment relative to the exhibition (see museum calendar).

  In 1961 an advisory committee was formed consisting of six faculty curators. The collection continued to be added to with significant works being acquired such as prints by Picasso, Chagla and Manet and paintings by Otto Marseus van Schrick, EugPne Boudin and LJon L’Hermitte. Beginning in 1963 after the first full time director left his position several interim directors were appointed. At this time it was noted that the museum was experiencing several significant problems. The A. D. White house, the building housing the collection, was old and in constant need of repairs. Lighting, temperature and humidity controls in the galleries was a great concern and, proper shipping and receiving areas did not exist. “The museum was having difficulty borrowing shows of major works of art from other institutions”.[8] In 1963 a committee was set up to address the planning of a new museum. The committee recognized this “opportunity to bring to the campus a new sense of quality”.[9]

  During this interim period Professor Marti Young assumed the responsibility of curator of Asian Art, which at that time was a very small collection. During this period a relationship between Mrs. Mary Rockwell and Mr. Young was formed. George Rockwell was a graduate of the class of 1913 and a Cornell University Trustee with his wife Mary they became major benefactors to the museum. Mrs. Rockwell, a collector of ceramics, contributed significantly to the Asian collection. From this beginning the Asian art collection has become the “principle strength of the museum’s holdings to this day”. [10] The University maintained a very small acquisition budget at this time and relied on gifts to enhance the collection. Due to such generous gifts the collection quickly out grew it’s galleries storage areas and this became yet another issue of distress.

  In 1967 Herbert Fisk Johnson, class of 1922, a Cornell University Trustee and, past president and chairman of Johnson Wax, organized ‘ART: USA’. This international exhibition of 102 American paintings and the display of ‘Objects: USA’ were shown at the A. D. White museum and attracted huge crowds of people to the campus. Herbert F. Johnson later agreed to fund the museum building project and gave $4,000,000 to the University.

  According to Mr. Bunn the new Herbert F. Johnson museum had some difficulties during it’s construction. Budgetary constraints caused some changes in the building plans, changes that to this day effect the adequate working of the museum. The museum was originally designed with three elevators. One of the elevators was eliminated from the plan to save money. The remaining service elevator does not stop at the lobby level, the only level capable of housing large works. This limits the items that can be shown in the impressive glass enclosed lobby. The service elevator also does not stop at the sixth floor where conferences are often held. The passenger elevator does double duty transporting guests as well as coffee urns. He said, “it can get very crowded in that one elevator”.

  In 1975 the first coordinator of education and public programs was named. With the addition of the education program a storage area on the second floor was lost. Storage is a major problem for the Johnson today.

  The main gallery usually houses the visiting exhibits. It offers the necessary space to accommodate large crowds and provide wall space, but, it does have it’s draw backs. The 23 foot ceilings make it difficult to effectively illuminate the works in this gallery. Shadows, reflections and dark spots are a problem in this area of the museum. Several times I have found myself looking at my own reflection in the glass of a framed work, this can be very distracting. Mr. Bunn said that this problem is impossible to eliminate because of the ceiling height.

  The original building committee recommendation was for a 70,000 square foot building but, the Johnson today is only 60,000 square feet. The collection has continued to grow and along with the items comes the accompanying paper work. Today the offices are piled high with paper files. Filing cabinets are filled to the brim. Assistants have offices in hallways. After just 26 years the museum has outgrown it’s space.

  In the 1990’s the university significantly reduced it’s funding of the museum from 70% to approximately 30%. At that time staff was downsized too. Staff cuts have caused tension to be at an all time high. I have seen many job openings at the Johnson and solicited a reason from Mr. Bunn. Is it that Cornell’s museum is a stepping stone to bigger and better things? He said that he believes that staff turnover is high but it has more to do with the problem of “being expected to more with less”.[11] His colleague (sharing his cramped office space) agreed. The Johnson not only produces a rapid succession of exhibits for public enjoyment, it also produces exhibits for faculty teaching. They also produce a calendar, web site (http://www.museum.cornell.edu/HFJ/museum.html), family and children’s workshops, and the newsletter. Each display has a descriptive brochure created for it. There is a museum club for Cornell students and museum membership for those outside the Cornell community.

  Because of the storage problem part of the museum’s collection is also housed in a remote location. The old Emerson power transmission plant now rents storage space to the museum. Storage of items awaiting de-accessioning are often placed in the storage area in Emerson. While the intercampus loan program no longer exists due to staffing restraints, approximately 1000 items are currently on loan across campus. These items have not been called back and will not be recalled because of the space crunch. When someone leaves the campus then they come back to the museum and are often sent to the off site storage facility.

  Originally the museum housed 21 staff members and was aided by the help of Graduate student assistants and Undergraduate guards. Today the guards are University employees (there are 29 staff positions today). The museum does not maintain student help, although some paid internships are available to Cornell University and Ithaca College students. Mr. Bunn, being a graduate of Hartwick College and Syracuse University, said that he does occasionally offer  internships to students from those schools as well.

  While the museum is in a crunch for space there is still an active acquisition program. During the year collectors donate works of art to the University. Each donation is considered but not all are accepted. Mr. Bunn said that they adhere to the American Museum guidelines which say it is proper to hold and item for at least two and a half years before de-accessioning. Strict guidelines are enforced for acceptance of gifts, until December. During the month of December alumni requiring an end of the year tax break often donate items which would not have been accepted during the other 11 months of the year.  He also said that the director is more lenient than any other staff member when it comes to adhering to this policy.

  In the print room the space crunch was less obvious. Mr. Bunn explained that in 1990 a conservator inspected the entire collection and the print room was found to be in desperate need of appropriate housing. At that time movable shelving was added to the room. Mr. Bunn said that college architects had recently inspected the room and decided that no more prints and, no more shelving could be added as it would jeopardize the integrity of the structure. The print room has a full wall of windows producing enjoyable day light but also damaging UV rays. The windows of the Johnson are not treated in any way to eliminate UV rays. The bulletin board of faded papers in Mr. Bunn’s office are testimony to the power of deterioration. He said that when the temperature changes rapidly outside, as it often does in Ithaca, condensation forms on the windows. With the lack of adequate space a print sitting on a work bench may be up against a wet window.  Water damage has so far been avoided.

  The interior of the Johnson is decidedly in the style of the white cube. The white walls are intentionally devoid of distractions with air ducts and thermostats concealed in an opening at the top of the walls. I had wondered if there was any plan to change this scheme. Mr. Bunn said that due to the financial constraints of working with a union work force it is too costly to paint after every exhibit, making white the most economical choice. A plan is in the works to round the walls of the Asian collection to force the visitor to round the corner and change the traffic pattern slightly but, most likely the walls will remain white.

  The storage area for the Asian art collection has recently been renovated (not completely finished yet) thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Movable shelving with individual humidity controls have been installed. The scrolls are being re-housed in a more appropriate manner. The museum recently announced that $3.5 million was on it’s way to the Asian collection from the estate of George and Mary Rockwell. Mr. Bunn and I had discussed the possible uses of these funds and the expansion of the building was a definite possibility. I. M. Pei had designed a breakaway basement wall into the original building plan. Expansion in the current building is possible. There will be no doubt about the prominence of the Asian collection at the Johnson, thanks to charitable alumni.

  While the collection is decidedly heavy of Asian works this is due to the generosity of the alumni and friends of Cornell University. Without them, there would be no collection or gallery. in the article ‘Noodeling around with exhibition opportunities’ by Elaine Heumann Gurian, the curator is credited with shaping the display. The university museum is at the mercy of the donor. The museum is obliged to credit the donor on the item’s label. The university museum often displays the date of graduation of the donor as well. Proudly displaying not only art but the success of the universities graduates as well.

  While I toured the facility, behind the scenes, I realized the mayhem that goes on. The bulletin board was about to fall off Mr. Bunn’s wall. The copy machine in his office had seen better days and was more than happy to interrupt our conversation with it’s whining. The security guards joking in their break room and the curators busy with what ever paper work it was they were doing. Saws buzzing in the basement as the preparators were busy creating the next display. All this is invisible when traveling through the great show that the staff has created. Reinforcing once again the idea of  the creation of the museum ritual and the idea that “the production of an exhibition is more akin to the production of a theater piece”.[12]

  Mr. Bunn made it clear that the highest concern is for the visitor to never see any of the problems. He said it was imperative that the visitor be able to completely immerse themselves in the art. If I had never noticed the mayhem before, then they were doing their jobs.