Front view of the musuem building
The tapestry-like brickwork on the front façade of the museum.

The University of Oregon’s art museum opened its doors to the public in 1932. Designed by Ellis F. Lawrence, UO dean of Architecture & Allied Arts at the time, the museum was built to house the Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Art—more than 3,000 works of art given to the University of Oregon by Gertrude Bass Warner.

 

The Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Art

The Warner Collection was bequeathed to the university in 1921 by Mrs. Warner as a memorial to her late husband, Murray Warner. The original collection primarily represented the cultures of China and Japan. Also included were works from Korea, Mongolia, Cambodia and Russia, as well as American and British pieces that demonstrated an Asian influence.

Gertrude Bass Warner
Julian Lamar, Portrait of Gertrude Bass Warner, 1927. (Detail)
[full image and credit]

Building the Museum of Art

The mission to construct an art museum on the University of Oregon campus was initiated by Prince Lucien Campbell, president of the university from 1902 to 1925, and Lawrence, dean of the School of Architecture from 1914 to 1946. President Campbell believed that a university has the major responsibility of becoming a center for culture for the region it serves.

Years later, after completing a $300,000 capital building campaign, construction began in September 1929. Once the entire building was complete, the Museum of Art was officially dedicated on June 11, 1932.

With its elegant exterior brickwork, decorative moldings and iron grillwork, as well as the restful Prince Lucien Campbell Memorial Courtyard, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art building remains one of the most distinctive architectural structures in Oregon and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places.

Modernizing and Expanding the Museum of Art

Throughout the years, however, space issues increased exponentially as the museum’s collection grew to include more than 12,500 works and an average of 40,000 to 50,000 people walked through its galleries each year. The building also had critical deficiencies in collections storage, climate control, and staff workspaces. The museum still had much of its original electrical wiring, humidity and temperature control system, and installation furnishings. The building could no longer keep pace with modern museum practices or provide a safe environment for the art collection.

Increasingly aware of these problems, university leaders joined with museum board members and administrators to launch the Museum Campaign for the renovation and expansion of the museum. After successfully completing the $14.2 million campaign, the UO’s art museum broke ground on its long awaited and much anticipated project in October 2002.

The design of the Chicago firm, Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge reinvigorates the revered structure while also respecting its historically important architectural elements and spaces. The presence of natural light in the new spaces, as well as in the Campbell Memorial Courtyard, creates a sense of openness and energy within the museum. Significantly expanded gallery space allows the museum to feature American, European, Korean, Chinese and Japanese art and to host concurrent temporary exhibitions. Educational facilities in the renovated building include a hands-on interactive discovery gallery, art-making studio and lecture hall. A new café, museum store, and special events spaces opening onto outdoor courtyards offer public gathering places.

Renovation and Expansion Facts

Size

63,180 square feet total; 38,154 square feet of new construction

Cost

$14.2 million

Funding:

The State of Oregon awarded $6.36 million in state-serviced bonds to the $14.2 million renovation and expansion project. These funds were matched, beyond the requirement, through a combination of grants, estate gifts and contributions from more than 750 individual donors.

Design Architect

Hammond Beeby Rupert Ainge, Chicago, Ill.

Architect of Record

SRG Partnership, Portland, Ore.

General Contractor:

Wildish Building Co., Eugene, Ore.

Timeline

Building Features: