An art gallery on the campus of Arkansas State University-Jonesboro has been given a new name and redesign that will allow more artwork to be featured, thanks to a gift from a Little Rock couple.
The Bradbury Gallery now will be known as the Bradbury Art Museum, officials announced Tuesday night at a reception at the ASU System office in Little Rock. The new name comes with a redesigned space that has five galleries, allowing artwork to be shown on a rotating basis. A news release from the university said visitors can return every few weeks and see new works of art and new programming.
Les Christensen, director of the Bradbury Art Museum, said the old design allowed for about six shows a year. In the future, the museum with the new design could feature as many as 20 shows a year, Christensen said.
The news release also said the new name is a better reflection of the purpose of the facility, which is to be a collecting and viewing institution and not a commercial one.
Curt Bradbury provided the initial endowment for the gallery in 2001 as a tribute to his wife, Charlotte "Chucki" Bornhoft Bradbury, who holds two business degrees from Arkansas State University and also served on the school's board of trustees. Curt Bradbury is the chief operating officer of Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
The couple gave $500,000 to help support the gallery's transformation into a museum. The two are now challenging others to match their gift but will be donating the money even if their gift is not matched.
"Perhaps the most gratifying part of this to me and Chucki is that Arkansas State University has created the environment within which our support can flourish," Curt Bradbury said in a news release from the university. "That requires hard work, insight and passion for the art itself. We think that Arkansas State in particular and Northeast Arkansas in general provide fertile ground for display and appreciation of fine art which need not take a back seat to any other region of the state."
After the announcement Tuesday night, Curt Bradbury said he thought the regional implications of the museum were particularly important. He pointed out that there are places to see fine art in Little Rock and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, and that now those growing up in northeast Arkansas no longer will have to travel long distances to see such art.
For the Bradburys, art is a family affair. Curt Bradbury said his wife studied art during her time at Arkansas State University and the two have shared a mutual passion for art throughout their marriage. They passed down the passion to their children, and Curt Bradbury said both his sons have started collections of their own.
"I feel like this museum is something my family will support in the future," Curt Bradbury said.
He added that while the museum was initially started as a tribute to his wife, the Bradbury Art Museum is not about his family.
"It's really about the art," he said.
Metro on 08/26/2015