On September 10, 2024, the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha will showcase its total makeover and extension, including the newest Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion. This project, a collaboration between Snøhetta and Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, expands the exhibition area by over 40% and improves the tourist experience. The opening coincides with the first exhibition of purchases from the Phillip G. Schrager Collection, a selection from Ed Ruscha's recent donation, new works by Kehinde Wiley and Eva LeWitt, and a complete reorganization of the historical collection.
The museum's regeneration is physical and extends to its brand and digital presence, with a new graphic identity and website starting in April 2024, ahead of the reopening. The Hawks Pavilion's debut displays will feature the Schrager Collection's key postwar and contemporary art objects, accompanied by themed presentations and a complete catalogue.
The Pavilion's architecture is a natural extension of the existing structures, merging with the original Art Deco building from 1931 and Norman Foster's 1994 expansion. This integration results in a flowing, welcoming space that rises to house the day-lit exhibition galleries, evoking the Great Plains' enormous sky and grassland vistas.
The museum's collections will be reinstalled to represent contemporary storylines and different artistic forms, bridging the gap between indigenous and European art while emphasizing regional history and environmental issues. This reinstallation contains significant additions to the collection, highlighting a larger art historical canon and exhibiting works by well-known artists across several mediums.
Alongside the indoor areas, the museum's exterior will feature freshly designed sculpture gardens and landscaping to enhance the outdoor experience and integrate art with the natural environment, emphasizing the museum's role as a cultural beacon in Omaha's changing urban setting.
