beads in the form of human teeth, is a favorite of
many UMFA visitors (fi g. 21).
For the reopening of the museum to the public,
the majority of the Mesoamerican collection is on
display in a dedicated gallery. Through strategic
use of casework, the layout is spacious, with each
object afforded suffi cient room to breathe. Museum
82
visitors will fi rst encounter the art of the
Maya, followed by objects from the shaft tomb
cultures and those of the Coclé culture.
A new interpretative strategy aims to introduce
the new gallery to visitors, especially those
who are unfamiliar with the art of the region.
Extended texts for the objects are concise, inviting
viewers to examine specifi c details of an
object as well as to compare an object to one
nearby. Upcoming object rotations and future
programs ensure the installation will remain as
vibrant as the cultures and objects represented
in the space.
The UMFA has made a strong commitment to
represent the art of the diverse cultures of the
world, especially those that have been historically
underrepresented or absent from the Eurocentric
canons of art history. Its expansive vision
includes a strong commitment to community
engagement and education. Future plans for rotations
of the African and Pacifi c collections are
already on the horizon. But now the public can
once again, after a nineteen-month absence, enjoy
the newly reimagined museum.
NOTES
1. The facts about the UMFA history and reopening are taken
from press releases provided by Mindy Wilson, director of
marketing and communications. UMFA Reimagined was the
name of the reopening campaign.
2. Several African and Native American sculptures were also
part of this purchase. An Artist Collects: Ulfert Wilke:
Selections from Five Continents. Iowa. University of Iowa
Museum of Art, 1975: 7.
3. This exhibition was organized by the Art Institute of
Chicago and was presented from September 5 to November
22, 1998. It was also presented at the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art from December 20 to March 29, 1999.
FIG. 19: Figure with
horned headdress.
Colima, Colima region,
Mexico.
300 BC–AD 300.
Terracotta.
UMFA, purchased with
funds from Friends of the Art
Museum, inv. 1985.004.
FIG. 20 (right):
Jester god.
Maya, Yucatán, Mexico
or possibly Guatemala.
AD 600–900.
Jade with traces of cinnabar.
H: 14.3 cm.
UMFA, purchased with
funds from Friends of the Art
Museum, inv. 1985.020.
ART ON VIEW