Nasher readies collection

Dozens of shipping crates and pieces of half-unpacked artwork, still shrouded in heavy plastic, fill the sky-lit interior of the Nasher Museum. Excitement wafts through the air; the museum staff busies itself arranging displays in preparation for the Oct. 2 opening. Soon these empty spaces will house famous collections open for public viewing.

Visitors can expect two innovative traveling exhibitions to kick off the museum's opening, in addition to the impressive permanent collection.

The first temporary exhibition, "The Evolution of the Nasher Collection," will present a history of Raymond and Patsy Nasher's interest in art and narrate the growth of their diverse collection, featuring work by Rodin, Picasso, Matisse and others-a compilation of eclectic and internationally renowned pieces.

"Many of these pieces have never left the Nashers' home- it is very exciting to see them within the context of other things, because it makes you realize how avant garde the Nashers were in the late 1970s," museum curator and art history professor Sarah Schroth said.

The other featured exhibit, "The Forest: Politics, Poetics and Practice," aims to show the interdisciplinary nature of art through the theme of forests. "Some of the artists are making a political statement about deforestation and colonialism and nuclear proliferation," said Wendy Hower Livingston, Nasher's marketing and communications manager. "A few of the artists actually work in communities to help find a solution to these problems."

The pieces in the permanent collection at the old Duke University Museum of Art were organized chronologically and by geography. At Nasher, they will be displayed by broad themes such as nature, gender and ritual instead. "We developed these [themes] in consultation with faculty members," museum director Kimberly Rorschach said. "We think this will serve teaching needs in the best way and will be most engaging for all our audiences."

Early next spring, Nasher expects to house a selection of African-American art pieces from NBA basketball star and Duke alum Grant Hill.

Extending its responsibility to reaching the immediate communities of Duke and Durham, Nasher boasts a "community classroom" for visiting school groups, as well as reservable auditorium and classroom space with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment. Rorschach's goal for community interaction and outreach is within sight-especially since Nasher will be Durham's sole art museum of significant size and stature.