Working as a tour guide for the Ball State University Museum of Art has made the building feel like a second home for senior English major Kim Bortnem.
"It's just such a peaceful place," she said.
As the new semester gets underway, other students also have the chance to feel at home at the museum with upcoming exhibits.
"I don't think most people will go on their own, so I think it's unfortunate," she said. "I think there is a difference between going alone and with a class."
The Ball State University Museum of Art will have an exhibit starting in October about Indian paintings, among other projects.
Director of Museum Art Peter Blume said "Indian Miniature Paintings" will be on display Oct. 10. The paintings were exhibited in Dallas before coming to Ball State, and are on loan from David Owsley.
Owsley is the son of Lucy Ball Owsley, oldest daughter of Frank Ball who helped found the university.
Bortnem said it's great to have Owsley so connected with the university because he helps create a diverse collection for a small museum.
"That's his goal: To go around and make our collection so diverse," she said.
The museum has Indian sculptures on display, Blume said, but the museum didn't have a developed collection of Indian paintings.
The miniature paintings exhibit will allow the museum to show an aspect of the Indian culture that isn't in the museum, Blume said.
An exhibit called "The American Studio Ceramics", which will show ceramics created mostly after World War II, will also be on display this semester. Blume said Ball State has a influential ceramics department, and most of it is not on display.
Bortnem said it allows students to see Ball State's connection with art.
"Previous professors made these pieces so it shows our own personal art history," she said.
The exhibition, scheduled to close on September 28, will give students an opportunity to view more of the collection.
"I'm sure it will be a very stimulating occasion," he said.
The museum will also have Cincinnati Art Museum Director Aaron Betsky speak on October 30. The presentation is entitled "Architecture Beyond Buildings."
The museum will exhibit works on paper that the museum keeps hidden most of the time. Blume said most of the work is kept in the dark because of deterioration from sunlight.
With a full lineup of exhibits and presentations set for the semester, Blume encourages all Ball State students, faculty and staff to peruse the museum, no matter what the occasion.
"We will see you in the galleries," he said.
Plan a visitBall State University Museum of Art, AR 216Admission is free and open to the public year-round. Regular hours are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sat-Sun. The museum is closed on major holidays and additional university holidays. Business office hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Visitors can receive free gifts from the museum bookstore by collecting Art Card stamps at selected events, which are available at the front desk of the Ball State University Museum of Art. Professors may also request copies for their class(es). Each time you attend an Art Card event, the guard at the front desk will stamp your card at the conclusion of the event. If you attend two to seven museum talks and designated events this academic year, you can receive up to four gifts from the museum office by calling (765) 285-5242.
2 events: free museum note card or postcard3 events: free pack of museum note cards4 events: free museum poster7 events: free museum catalogue
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