Two formerly unused spaces in Washington State University’s Terrell Library are being transformed into art micro-galleries featuring original works by two WSU professors.
The permanent installations by Department of Art faculty members Kevin Haas and Squeak Meisel will be unveiled during a free public reception from 3–4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in the library’s ground-floor atrium.
The project, funded by a grant from the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities and library donors, grew out of renovations that revealed recessed wall spaces where built-in furniture and computer consoles once stood. To Trevor Bond, dean of WSU Libraries, the newly opened spaces looked like perfect spots for the micro-galleries.
“I began to imagine furnishing these micro-galleries with comfortable seating and commissioning artwork from WSU faculty to both inspire students studying in the library and connect them with the creative work of artists teaching on campus,” Bond said.
Haas’ An Incomplete Constellation brings together celestial diagrams from the likes of Galileo and Copernicus with modern imagery, inviting viewers to discover surprising connections between science, history, and art. Meisel’s Collectively Speaking features a colorful collection of figures and speech-bubble shapes inspired by people who have shaped his life, creating a dreamlike puzzle for viewers to explore.
Both artists will speak briefly at the Nov. 9 reception before leading visitors on a guided tour of their installations.
Read more about the artwork, the artists, and the inspiration behind the project in Bond’s full story on the WSU Libraries’ website.
