The Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum has new hours this semester, to go along with several new exhibitions.
The art museum at the 鶹ҹ now will be open on Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Other hours remain the same. Those are: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Three new spring exhibits opened in January.
- “Depictions of Louisiana” features works from the museum’s permanent collection that date from the mid-19th century to now. The exhibit also will include selected texts that offer artist expressions of individuality, and interpretations about Louisiana. The exhibit will be on display until Aug. 20.
- “From the Vault: Works on Paper by Dali and Picasso” showcases print portfolios of each artist—Salvador Dali’s “La Conquête du Cosmos II” and Pablo Picasso’s “Femmes et Faunes.” It highlights their mutual interest in surrealism, a movement characterized by the abandonment of rationality and logic in favor of imagination and the subconscious. The exhibit will be on display until May 14.
- “Fashion from Fiction: Romance Novel Dresses by Carrie Ann Schumacher” explores the relationship between fictional, romanticized representations of women, and their real-life experiences in contemporary American society. The artist draws upon popular culture, fashion and the romantic literary genre to highlight the objectifying effect that they have on women’s identity. It will be on display until May 14.
The museum will continue to schedule programs on many Wednesday nights from 5-8 p.m., a time slot when visitors pay no cost for admission. Programs include lectures, panel discussions, artist talks, readings, and music performances. Each program will begin at 6 p.m.
Many of the programs will complement permanent or visiting exhibits, said Jolie Johnson, Hilliard University Art Museum’s marketing and membership manager.
“In January, for instance, a folklorist, Paddy Bowman, led an event in the gallery called ‘Dress to Express.’ It focused on how people perceive their own fashion choices and how society, either friends, family or strangers, reacted to their decisions,” Johnson explained.
The museum also is preparing to resume tours for groups of up to 20 walk-in visitors at set times on Fridays and Saturdays. They hope to resume the tours, which will be led by volunteer docents, or guides, on February 19. They are currently postponed due to the carnival season.
Hilliard University Art Museum features 11,000 square feet of gallery space and is the largest exhibition space between Houston and New Orleans. It houses a collection of 18th- through 21st-century European, Asian and American art. In addition to its permanent collection, it offers changing exhibitions of regional, national and international art.
The museum is at 710 E. St. Mary Blvd., on the 鶹ҹ campus.
Admission to Hilliard University Art Museum is $5 for adults, $4 for adults over age 62, $3 for students between the ages of 5 and 17, and free for children younger than 5 years old. 鶹ҹ students, and faculty and staff members can visit the museum for free by showing their University ID card.
To learn more about the museum, exhibits, and programs, visit hilliardmuseum.org or call (337) 482-2278.