Larson to Explore Art Museum Evolution

Judy L. Larson, director of Reynolds Gallery, describes her plans for Westmont’s new art museum in a lecture, “Art Around the World: A Global Approach to the Visual Arts,” Thursday, April 16, at 5:30 p.m. at the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St. The lecture is part of Westmont Downtown: Conversations About Things that Matter, which is sponsored by the Westmont Foundation. The free lecture is open to the public and reservations are not necessary. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“The opening of Westmont’s Adams Center for the Visual Arts will bring a state-of-the-art museum facility to Montecito and attract first-rate exhibitions that will complement the rich artistic offering of Santa Barbara’s galleries and museums,” Larson says. She describes art as a connecting thread between academic disciplines, inspiring creativity and fostering innovative problem solving.

Larson will also discuss how museums are evolving in the 21st century. “Leadership in several major art museums has shifted to a new generation,” she says, “We are seeing innovative ideas that are changing the face of museums. International art biennials have nearly doubled in the last decade with a spotlight on emerging artists in third world countries.”

Larson, Westmont’s R. Anthony Askew professor in art, teaches classes in art history and museum studies. Previously, she served as the director of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she is credited with completing a $25 million endowment campaign and enriching the museum’s schedule to include thematic exhibitions and new artistic fields. She completed a doctorate at the Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts at Emory University, Atlanta, in 1998.