student in front of an exhibit at the Mead Art MuseumA museum on campus! Sounds crazy when you usually have to go to your local public museum to view art pieces. For a bit of background, the Mead Art Museum has been closed since March 2020 to repair the steeple. On February 8th, the Mead Art Museum opened back up to the public for the “Architectural” Ghost” exhibition. It was my first time walking into the museum and being able to walk through all the pieces.

The college added accessibility resources for people with disabilities which was one of the newest additions to the museum. From the speech given, we now are a Certified Culture City meaning the museum has made it accessible for people with PTSD, autism, and dementia. The Mead Art Museum has been added SME which was present on the day of the event. After speaking with Fran Torres, an SME intern, he was able to talk more about the engagement the college has with students and communities. From my experience with various pieces in the exhibition, I am blown away by the presentations of all the pieces. It almost seems impossible to get through all the art but the one that caught my attention is Untitled Blue: Placebo (1991) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres. The formation in it was placed and also the space of it was different from the rest. A public yet private setting.

The opening of the Mead Art Museum is a wonderful place and event everyone should experience at least once. The amount of people and work it takes to put it all together is mesmerizing. The re-opening has added a new angle/ perspective to my Amherst experience not only on an artistic level but on a personal level. The representation of artwork through the exhibition intersects with other topics/themes I learned in class. It is nice to see that the Architectural Ghosts are bits and pieces left from ruins that live on. Just like we live on. There is always a big takeaway from these special events. The Mead Art Museum is definitely a place to check out while you are here. There is much to learn from every future exhibition.