$2.5 million Lilly Endowment grant will support Raclin Murphy Museum of Art research, conservation and acquisitions

Published:July 22, 2024

Author:Sue Ryan

Raclin Murphy Museum of Art (Photo by Mike Rippy/University of Notre Dame)

The University of Notre Dame has been awarded a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to enable the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art to continue to deepen engagement and scholarship on religion, spirituality and faith. The grant was made through Lilly Endowment's Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, which aims to improve the public understanding of religion and in doing so foster greater knowledge of and respect for diverse religious traditions.

The Raclin Murphy Museum of Art opened in December 2023 as a new, 70,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility featuring 23 galleries and numerous public spaces including classrooms, a chapel, a cafe and a bookshop. Situated at the corner of Eddy Street and Angela Boulevard, the museum serves as the entrance to the University's Arts Gateway and encompasses more than 30,000 objects.

"We are deeply appreciative of this Lilly Endowment grant, which will help advance our mission as the leading global Catholic research university," said John T. McGreevy, Notre Dame's Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. "It aligns with many of the goals in our strategic framework, including University-wide research initiatives in the arts and global Catholicism and a commitment to deepen our engagement with South Bend and the region. This generous support for the museum will enhance the lives and well-being of others across campus and throughout our community."

This is the second grant the University has received from Lilly Endowment through its national Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative. A nearly $2.5 million grant in 2020 helped support the University's strategic efforts to explore the role of religion, spirituality and faith in its extensive collection of art and artifacts.

This new grant will allow Notre Dame to expand the Raclin Murphy's capacity to engage its core constituencies in exploring, deepening and challenging ideas of religion and spirituality through its collections and exhibitions. The museum will do so with three key objectives in mind: strengthen and diversify holdings related to religion and spirituality through strategic acquisitions; provide opportunities for research and scholarship on museum holdings related to religion and spirituality; and conserve existing museum holdings related to religion and spirituality. A primary component of the grant will be used to support the acquisition of new objects.

"On behalf of all at the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, I am profoundly grateful to all those at Lilly Endowment who have made this extraordinary grant possible," said Joseph Antenucci Becherer, the museum's director and curator of sculpture. "With great care and insight towards the understanding, scholarship and growth of our collections, this grant spotlights critical areas for the museum, including research, conservation and strategic acquisitions."

With origins that date to 1875, the Raclin Murphy's collection has grown into one of the most significant and extensive collections of any academic museum in the country, with works representing many of the principal cultures and periods of world art history. Its paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints, drawings, textiles, baskets and decorative arts offer visitors a broad view of global proportions. The museum will celebrate its sesquicentennial in 2025.

"We've witnessed how important conservation is and what astonishing things can result," Becherer said. "We've also committed ourselves to significant acquisitions in the sesquicentennial campaign, 150 for 150, and this gives us a great boost. We've also recognized the need for research support to live out this aspect of our being, and this is our first necessary step forward."

Admission to the museum is free for all guests. For more information on hours of operation, exhibits and special events, visit raclinmurphymuseum.nd.edu.

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