On Thursday October 27th, 2011, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University celebrated its 50th anniversary with a grand reopening celebration. The museum had been under major renovation since the spring, and consequently closed to visitors this semester thus far.
The celebration was open to students and faculty alike, and also attended by leading donors and the heads of the Alumni Association at Brandeis.
Despite unexpected rain and snow that night, the event was highly attended. A massive tent was set up on the museum lawn under which students milled about tables filled with Mediterranean food and vases of colorful flowers. Possibly the most festive element of the celebration was the free high quality wine and beer provided to attendees over 21. A DJ played ambient music on the lower level of the museum. The Rose itself was also packed, a lovely sight that proved the museum’s importance to the Brandeis community.
Three extraordinary exhibitions showcased the museum’s famed permanent collection––Art at the Origin: The Early Sixties; Bruce Conner: EVE-RAY-FOREVER (1965/2006); and Conner’s 2006 recreation of this groundbreaking film experience.
Artists on show in these exhibits included massive names in pop art such as Roy Lichtenstein, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Marisol, Jasper Johns, and Louise Nevelson.
President Fred Lawrence made a speech at 6:30 to the public. In his speech he emphasized that we should not see the Rose as just a museum on our campus, but as an integral part of Brandeis University. It is our museum to love, and makes Brandeis a really special university.
All in all, the event was spectacular. Free food, free booze, music, flowers… the Rose Art Museum 50th Anniversary Reopening was a space for socializing with other students and faculty who strongly appreciate the art and humanities. The opening inspired art appreciation and brought the museum to the front of the university’s consciousness.