Linny Frickman, Torleif Tandstad, and Dorothy Horrell break ground on the Museum Expansion, Spring 2015.

The University Art Museum, Colorado State University’s first art museum, broke ground for an expansion on March 27, 2015, followed by the annual VISUALIZE celebration. Taking part in the ceremonial groundbreaking were Dorothy Horrell, chair of the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System; Ann Gill, dean of the College of Liberal Arts; Linny Frickman, director of the University Art Museum; and Torleif Tandstad, art collector and museum donor. Frickman noted, “At the root of all art museums is the interpretation of, and the care for, cultural objects. I believe that the primacy of the art object – in real time – will remain essential, even as our virtual world helps us to better understand these objects. For art-works, at their core, embody the hopes, the aspirations, the beliefs of cultures and individuals. They contain our histories and they remain, even after their makers are gone, links to those histories.”

The fifth annual VISUALIZE fundraising party – a vibrant evening that included exhibition viewing, live music, an engaging print-making activity, and delicious nosh – raised $20,000 benefiting the University Art Museum expansion fund. “Once again, we find ourselves incredibly grateful to our VISUALIZE sponsors and donors,” said Frickman. “From first-time, to repeat donors alike, the museum is capturing the imagination and commitment of our generous patrons – thank you!”

The museum expansion will add 6,000 square feet, primarily dedicated to exhibition galleries. Three galleries will house highlights from the extraordinary Hartford-Tandstad Collection, including works by pivotal figures in the history of European art. A fourth gallery is dedicated to African art, the largest non-western holdings in the permanent collection. The fifth, and largest gallery, is dedicated to rotating exhibitions including traveling exhibitions, Critic and Artist Residency Series exhibitions, and selections from the permanent collection’s contemporary holdings. Plans for an outdoor sculpture garden and renovation of current museum spaces are ongoing. The museum is well on its way to achieving a Green Globes rating, a green building and certification rating that demonstrates CSU’s sustainability goals. The expected opening date for the new expansion and renovation is Fall 2016.

For more about VISUALIZE, including a complete sponsor list, >> Click Here.