College of Art and Architecture prepares to reopen Prichard Art Gallery in its new downtown Moscow location

Larger space will also include welcome center, retail area

At first, Aaron Johnson was skeptical about the Prichard Art Gallery's new location. He’d only been in the building once before – and it didn’t produce fond memories.

“I was there when it was the Moscow Police Department and had to pay a ticket,” said Johnson, an assistant professor in the College of Art and Architecture (CAA). “My first thought was, ‘how are we going to turn that building into something beautiful?’ But after seeing the empty space and the construction drawings, I’m like, ‘OK, I see it now’.”

We are changing the vision of how the Prichard looks and operates. It will have a new look, new branding and will deepen the connection between U of I and the city of Moscow.

— Shauna Corry, CAA dean

CAA plans to reopen the gallery for the Spring ’25 semester, although interior remodeling and exterior improvements will still be taking place. All three phases of the project are currently scheduled for completion by 2027. 

Eager to let visitors see their vision of the space, CAA faculty members offered guided tours of the building during the Fall ’24 Homecoming weekend.

Visitors heard how the space will be used and viewed conceptual drawings created by Moscow contractor KNIT.

“We are changing the vision of how the Prichard looks and operates,” said Shauna Corry, CAA dean. “It will have a new look, new branding and will deepen the connection between U of I and the city of Moscow.”

Spotlight on art

The Prichard Art Gallery has been an integral part of CAA since it was established in 1982. With its new location and bigger space, one of Prichard’s goals will be to display more pieces of U of I’s growing art collection.

The collection mainly consists of pieces donated to U of I through estate gifts. Among the items are a few original works by world-famous artists, including Salvador Dali, but most of the art comes from local or regional artists with U of I connections, such as former CAA professors Mary Kirkwood and Alfred Dunn.

Over the years, Prichard has a brought in many highly regarded artists as guest curators, including Andy Goldsworthy, Maya Lin, Christo and Jean Claude and Dale Chihuly. In the new space, CAA faculty members are hoping to re-establish this idea, which will also give them a chance to display more pieces from U of I’s collection for theme-focused shows.

“If a guest curator wanted to come in and do an event focusing on works showing the fields around Moscow, we have enough pieces like that to make it happen,” Johnson said. “If someone wanted to do just watercolors, we could focus on that. We have a wonderful collection and we want the pieces to be seen.”

Special events at the Prichard could also use art to help tell stories about different projects under development at U of I.

“Maybe we do an event where we show art focusing on a specific research topic being done on campus,” said Delphine Keim, CAA professor. “Using pieces from our collection would be a great way to help amplify and support projects that represent the whole university.”

Welcoming opportunities

The Prichard’s new design features three distinct spaces — the art gallery, an information center and a retail space. Tharique De Silva sees student involvement opportunities for all three.

The new Prichard building will be completed in three phases: demolition and design, interior remodel and exterior remodel. De Silva, an assistant professor in interior architecture & design, hopes students in his future design and construction classes might play a role in the project’s second phase. 

Per KNIT’s drawings, retail shelving, seating and/or displays will likely be featured in all three sections of the building. De Silva said the possibility of getting his interior architecture students involved in this phase could turn the class into a service-learning studio. 

Similar to the charette formed by CAA design-build and landscape architecture students to gather ideas for designing the Vandal Healing Garden and Memorial, De Silva sees an opportunity for students to meet with community members to get feedback on possible uses for the space, which could ultimately influence the final design.

“Our students are very interested to see how the ideas and concepts they learn about in the classroom are applied during the building phase,” said De Silva. “Being involved in a project like this would allow them to gather ideas and feedback from both the client and the community, test the ideas, and ultimately help create the vision for the building.”

Keim also sees an opportunity for Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in studio art and design students to display their thesis projects, giving them an invaluable experience as they prepare for the next step in their career.

“I’d love to see our MFA students be able to show their work at the Prichard each spring, where they could experience what a professional exhibit looks like,” she said. “I think there are a lot of possibilities for this new space and it’s exciting to see it start coming together."

Article by David Jackson, University Communications and Marketing

Photos by Geoff Crimmins and KNIT

Published in December 2024