The Auburn University Art Collection stewarded by the Museum (“Collection”) is defined as follows: Art objects spanning from the 16th to 21st centuries purposefully acquired by the Museum to advance learning and enrich lives through the collection, preservation, exhibition, and engagement of and with the visual arts. More specifically, through the Collection, the Museum promotes research, the preservation of our global cultural heritage and the ongoing education of Auburn University’s students and faculty as well the residents of the state of Alabama, the region, and the nation.
Scope of the Collection. The Collection stewarded by the Museum is a survey in nature, though the majority of the objects in the Collection focus on 19th century Audubon prints; ceramics and pottery; 18th to 21st centuries European and American art; nearly one-third of the noteworthy and groundbreaking Advancing American Art collection that reflects American Modernism, and a substantial holding of works from artists in, around and with ties to Alabama and the Southern United States. While art of most any genre and origin is of enormous value to the mission of the Museum, the intent as we grow the Collection is to focus on a rounded representation and exploration of voices and interpretations of in the southeastern United States, while also seeking to draw parallels to national and international communities.
The Museum recognizes that museum collections can be comprised of sub-collections–in our case with Audubon, Belleek Porcelain, Imprinting the South, and Advancing American Art–which outline a broader research based permanent collection. As we grow as an institution both with rigorous exhibition and collecting efforts, it is our intention to build upon the existing bedrock of the Collection and work to identify and fill areas that are underrepresented within our holdings.
