Last week, the Technician took a look back at The Gregg Museum’s humble beginnings in honor of the museum moving into a new stand-alone home. N.C. State’s own museum started on the third floor of Talley in a small office. Three people worked there and the art was scattered all over campus. Now, it is planned that the museum will move to its own place. According to Roger Manley, director of The Gregg, the museum will open its new doors at the Chancellor’s old residence in two to three years.
When Talley was being torn down last year, The Gregg’s home was uncertain, according to Manley.
“There were a few things that were given to stay in Talley such as the theater,” Manley said. “But there was limited space for everything that was previously in Talley to go back inside, so it quickly became obvious that The Gregg would need to go somewhere else.”
Among the proposed locations for The Gregg were the TV station and the parking lot behind Reynolds Coliseum. According to Manley, there were 13 different sites all over campus that were considered.
Around that same time, Chancellor Randy Woodson was hired and moved to the residence on Centennial campus.
“Chancellor Woodson was very supportive of the idea to turn the old residence into a museum,” Manley said. “It’s great because not only did we get the best location we could have hoped for, but it was also the cheapest.”
Manley explained that the old residence is on the edge of campus but it is also very close to the theater in the park, as well as the College of Design and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. He said he was excited that the other two sides neighbor the city of Raleigh.
“It’s really becoming sort of a joint project with the city of Raleigh,” Manley said. “So it’s almost like Raleigh is getting a whole new museum too.”
As of now, most of the collection, as well as the employees’ offices, are in a warehouse on Brickhaven Drive. According to Manley, the public is welcome to stop by to view the collection, though he would rather them call ahead of time; the museum is not open and is still having exhibits in other places.
“Right now, we are having exhibits in places like the African-American Cultural center on the second floor of Witherspoon,” Manley said.
“We will also be having exhibits at Meredith College, The Alumni Center and Hunt Library until we get our own building ready.”
Manley said he is excited about The Gregg’s future and the new freedom it will have in the new setting.
“Because we will have our first stand-alone building for the first time with three acres of land, we will be able to have things like outdoor sculpture displays, outdoor film festivals, concerts, parties and weddings — all of these things that we were never able to do before,” Manley said. “Not to mention that this place is a whole lot more accessible.”
No matter where they are though, Manley said he wants people to be inspired to create when they leave The Gregg.
“It’s like a library. There are all kinds of reasons why people go but I mainly want people to feel empowered and to try things,” Manley said. “The Gregg is different from a lot of other museums because if you go somewhere like the North Carolina Museum of Art or the Metropolitan in New York, most people go expecting something like a religious experience when they come face to face with the Mona Lisa or something like that — but that doesn’t want to make you go home and paint.”
Manley added that he is excited for the University as a whole.
“I think that all-in-all Talley is going to be a really terrific place when they get finished,” Manley said. “And so is the Gregg, so it is a big step for the whole university.”
