Nasher architect, donor to discuss museum... inside and out

Ever wanted to get a closer look or go behind the scenes of Nasher Museum of Art's planning and design? Next Tuesday, you can.

On Sept. 27, renowned architect Rafael ViA±oly and museum donor and namesake Raymond D. Nasher will host a free lecture, open to the public, discussing the design and plans they have for the Duke's newest art facility. The lecture will be held at the Carolina Theater in downtown Durham.

ViA±oly is the mastermind behind great pieces of architecture all over the globe, from Argentina to New York to Japan. He has designed airports, sports and recreational facilities, and of course, museums and educational centers.

A firm believer in using both logic and creativity, ViA±oly's building philosophy emphasizes functionality as well as aesthetics. He engineers structures that are themselves considered great works of art.

Raymond Nasher, class of '43, recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest award presented by the Duke Alumni Association. As an undergraduate, he majored in economics and played tennis. He also had a column in The Chronicle, in which he promoted art initiatives on campus despite never taking an art course.

The Nashers began their collection with pre-Columbian art, and it soon grew to include many modern pieces-Picassos and Matisses that essentially became part of their family. At the lecture, Nasher will address how he and his late wife Patsy nurtured their personal art collection, now viewed as one of the most noteworthy collections of modern art in the world.

Senior curator and Duke art professor Sarah Schroth will provide a scholar's point of view, discussing the pieces in one of the museum's inaugural exhibitions, "The Evolution of the Nasher Collection."

Lecture attendees can expect to hear perspectives from both the architect and the art aficionado's vision for Nasher museum in collaboration with Duke and Durham.