Not many universities can boast having a self-sustaining museum on their campus, and not many on-campus museums can boast a permanent collection as large as the one held by N.C. State’s Gregg Museum.
According to Zoe Starling, the curator of educational resources at the museum, Gregg’s permanent collection houses more than 20,000 items, including photographs, paintings, textiles, pottery and more. Nearly all of these items were gifts to N.C. State by alumni.
The Gregg Museum has been around for only a few decades, but according to Roger Manley, director of the Gregg Museum, the story of the museum and its permanent collection actually began with the end of World War II. During this time, N.C. State saw a great influx of registration by veterans of the war being supported by the G.I. Bill.
After about 20 years, as the veterans grew older and more successful, they started gifting artifacts to the University, including objects they may have picked up on their travels or even items they had lying about the house.
All of these gifted items accumulated over the years and eventually raised an issue for the University, who had no idea what to do with all of the items they had been given. According to the museum, the University hired its first curator of art in 1979 to take charge of the collection.
The items placed in the permanent collection have allowed the museum to develop numerous exhibitions over the years. Recent exhibits at the museum included “Textiles of Exile,” which showcases works of art on textile by exiled artists, and “Barkcloth , Bras, and Bulletproof Cotton – The Powers of Costume”, an exhibit about the effect one’s clothing has on the functions one can perform in society.
According to Manley and Janine LeBlanc, the museum’s textile consultant, constructing these exhibits is always a considerable undertaking. In preparation for the current exhibitions, the museum went through a list of all the available exhibits that had to do with their theme. While they were narrowing down the list, the team also conducted research into their subjects. All of this work is done to find what really tells the story of the exhibit.
”A museum is really a storytelling medium,” Manley said. “We’re just trying to tell stories with objects.”
The museum pulls its exhibitions mostly from their massive permanent collection, which is available for students and educators to view and interact with.
“We’re a lot more trusting of people with our exhibits,” Manley said, “but at the same time, we are protective of them.”
Students who wish to view the permanent collection need only ask. The museum’s only stipulation is that students wear special cotton gloves to protect the integrity of the exhibits.
The museum has undergone a significant amount of change since its inception decades ago, and within the next few years, the museum will be seeing even more changes. In the summer of 2013, the Gregg Museum will be moving to a temporary location on the edge of campus as renovations are made to Talley Student Center. Once all the renovations are completed, however, the museum has no plans to move back in.
The Gregg Museum hopes to take up permanent residence in their own independent gallery that will be added to the chancellor’s old residence on Hillsborough Street. In their new location, the museum hopes to become more accessible to the community by offering more programs such as art festivals and concerts.