Though too many N.C. State students don’t know about it, there’s a place on campus where they can interact with mummies and more. With more than 25,000 pieces in its collection, the Gregg Museum of Art & Design has almost five times as many pieces as the North Carolina Museum of Art. Aside from the two rotating galleries currently located on the second floor of Talley Student Center, the Gregg museum also includes a variety of art that can be viewed on the third floor.
According to Roger Manley, director of the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, many museums have complicated processes that prevent people from direct access to art and historical artifacts. Oftentimes these complex processes require committees that discuss whether or not a particular piece should be made available to people. Such processes may take several weeks.
That’s not how the Gregg Museum of Art & Design works.
“With us, people just knock on the door and we say ‘Sure, come on in,'” Manley said. “[We] take them to the back, give them some gloves, get [the artifact] out, and let them look at it. It’s direct access to the art. People can see it right away and actually touch it, as long as they’re careful.”
Students from the College of Textiles, for example, were able to learn various forms of weaving by studying samples made by people who lived in the Himalayas hundreds of years ago and from wrappings of old Peruvian mummies. Students of various science and engineering departments were also given access to study both ancient ceramic shapes and the chemistry behind the materials used to make them.
Although the museum has a lot to offer students and professors, Manley said its location has limited its visibility to students and the rest of the public. For example, visitors to the fashion exhibit currently on display may assume the Gregg Museum is a costume museum and remain unaware of its larger collection. Restricted parking around the building has also created inconveniences for visitors who are required to park at the closest parking deck, which is a couple of blocks away from the current location.
Zoe Starling, Curator of Education for the Gregg Museum, said the lecture space in the gallery section on the section floor and the film screening space in the third floor hallway were both limited.
However, plans to move the Gregg Museum to a new location are under way. With about $5.1 million out of the $7.5 million for construction already raised, Manley hopes the new location will be ready for visitors some time in the next few years. The Gregg Museum’s benefactors are planning a 15,000-square-foot addition to the former Chancellor’s home, which is located across the street from N.C. State’s Belltower , to display the museum’s collection.
Beyond the space itself, Manley said the new location’s close proximity to the College of Design and Pullen Park is a major plus for the museum.
The museum’s physical growth will be accompanied by growth in classes and programs offered through the museum. According to Manley, there will be room for rotating exhibits to become part of the permanent collection, and a variety of other spaces will be added in for temporary shows. With the addition of surrounding grounds, the area around the museum would include a sculpture garden and a space for outdoor film screenings. The space will also provide room for concerts and art festivals. Free parking around the area is also available, which would provide visitors easier access.
“I think it’s going to make an impact on the community,” Starling said. “It’s a segue towards downtown, so I think that’s going to be a big boost not only to students but also become more of a part of the community because it’ll be more visible.”
