The arts and Michigan State University have both played a major role in the life of Eli Broad. The highly successful businessman/philanthropist and his wife Edythe felt that a great university needs a great museum, so the couple took action to make that dream a reality. The Broad’s donation of $26 million, the largest individual cash gift in MSU history, has led to the construction of a new world-class art museum on the MSU campus.
“Speaking from personal experience, the arts have played a transformative role in my life, even though they were not at the center of my studies at MSU,” said Eli Broad. ”This museum – and the iconic building that will bring it to life – will also serve as an important new resource for the people of central Michigan, making great art accessible to the millions of people who live and work within the region.”
Still two months before its November 9 grand opening, it is already obvious that the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will have a transformational impact on Michigan State University and the Greater Lansing region. The striking, contemporary architectural design created by world-class architect Zaha Hadid creates a “wow factor” that dramatically changes the Grand River/Collingwood entrance to MSU.
“This vibrant design will engage the campus and community and inspire everyone who enters,” said MSU President, Lou Anna Simon. The new building is also constructed in a way so that it serves as a connecting link between MSU and the City of East Lansing, complete with two front doors – one facing east and the other west. The Broad Art Museum is the first building at MSU that doesn’t face in towards the university.
“We’re trying to say through the architecture that it’s a very public place where everyone will feel welcome,” said Michael Rush, the Broad Art Museum’s founding director. “It’s a very strong interaction between MSU and the community.”
The interior of the building also makes a very strong architectural statement unlike anything seen before in the region or the country. Broad Art Museum is approximately 46,000-square-feet in area and is comprised of three levels – lower level, ground floor and second floor. Two-level spaces provide dramatic views. The iconic design is constructed of steel and concrete with a pleated stainless steel and glass exterior. The building is adjoined by an expansive outdoor sculpture garden as an extension of the east entrance, and by a large pedestrian plaza at the west entrance.
The Broad Art Museum will be devoted to exploring modern and contemporary works, post 1945. Rush notes that Broad has also inherited a world-class historic collection of art from MSU’s Kresge Art Museum, which he says will make Broad Art Museum unique among contemporary art museums in its ability to frame the broad range of contemporary art practices with a firm historical context.
“We’re going to show a very dynamic cross-section of art from around the world,” said Rush. “This will continue to enhance MSU’s status as a global leader.”
The stature of the Broad Art Museum project and Michigan State University’s deep commitment to establishing a world-class art museum has enabled MSU to attract a richly experienced professional staff, including Michael Rush as founding director.
Rush oversaw a significant collection of modern and contemporary art in Brandeis, near Boston, and was widely recognized for his leadership during a cotroversial attempt by the university to sell the art collection and close the museum. He was also the director of the Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art, has lectured internationally on art and museum practices, and has received awards from the International Association of Art Critics for his curatorial projects.
Among other highly respected staff members joining the Broad Art Museum is Allison Gass, named curator of contemporary art. Gass, who was named a young curator to watch by The New York Times, serves as the assistant curator of painting and sculpture at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
“It is a rare opportunity to come into a community and lead something the university deeply wants,” said Rush. “Everybody wants to be here.”
The Broad Art Museum is already changing the way the world views Michigan State University and the Greater Lansing region. The Broad project has generated a multitude of news stories from media outlets worldwide. Rush says people are waking up to the fact that something very exciting is happening.
“Just by virtue of its presence, the museum is turning people on to what MSU and the region are about,” said Rush.
People throughout the Greater Lansing region are enthusiastically embracing the Broad Art Museum and are excited about the potential the museum holds for the community. Many community organizations and local units of government have been involved in coordinating events leading up to the museum’s grand opening. Over 1,000 people are expected at the November 9 dedication, and several hundred more will visit Broad Art Museum during its opening weekend. Hundreds of area families have participated in Broad-sponsored outreach events that have included hands-on art projects, exhibits, lectures and a film series.
“The opening of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will be an exciting catalyst to attract new visitors to our destination”, said Lee Hladki, CEO of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We anticipate visitors, including international visitors, to travel to our region to experience the innovative programming,
as well as the impressive collections which will be on display at the Broad.”
No one knows what the long-term impact of the Broad Art Museum will have on the region. MSU is conducting an economic impact study that will offer some preliminary forecasts. Rush notes that 200 jobs were created during construction of the building, and that $36 million of the $45 million Broad budget will remain
in Michigan. The museum should also have significant spinoff effects in the region, including the opening of other nearby businesses, including art galleries and restaurants.
"The Broad Art Museum not only physically enhances the arts and cultural landscape of Greater Lansing, but its programming and emphasis on contemporary culture, ideas, and international issues will ignite creativity and innovation in our region, leading to increased economic and educational opportunities,” said Leslie Donaldson, executive director of the Arts Council of Greater Lansing.
Broad Art Museum is expected to attract students to MSU from around the world. Rush also hopes that the high level of Broad’s architecture will encourage new,
bolder architecture that could transform the look and feel of the City of East Lansing and beyond.
What is certain is that the opening of the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University is a significant event in the cultural and economic life of the Greater Lansing region.
“I can guarantee you we will be one of the leading university art museums in the country,” said Rush. “We are going to be a rocking place.”
