The William Benton Museum of Art
University of Connecticut
245 Glenbrook Road, Unit 2140
Storrs, CT 06269-2140
860.486.4520
Map
www.thebenton.org
Thursday & Friday 10AM-4:30PM
Saturday & Sunday 1-4:30PM
Admission is Free
History of the William Benton Museum of Art at the University of Connecticut
The William Benton Museum of Art has a proud past, a vibrant present and an exciting future. The Benton opened officially in 1967, but its roots go back to the early twentieth century and the days of the Connecticut Agricultural College, which evolved into the University of Connecticut. The building that housed the original Museum was constructed in 1920 and served as "The Beanery", the campus' main dining hall until the mid-1940s. The small, elegantly designed College Gothic structure, with its gracious sculpture garden, is among the core campus buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Museum collection traces its beginnings to College President Charles Lewis Beach who bequeathed his impressive holdings of American art to the University on his death in 1933, along with a trust fund for future acquisitions. It was President Beach's intent that the collection "instill and cultivate an appreciation of works of art in the student body of the College and in such other persons as may avail themselves of said collection." This original collection included works by Childe Hassam, Henry Ward Ranger, Emil Carlson, Charles H. Davis, Ernest Lawson and Guy Wiggins.
Since then, the Benton has added works by such renowned artists as Mary Cassatt, Thomas Hart Benton, Fairfield Porter, George Bellows, Rembrandt Peale, Georges Braque, Gustav Climt, Edward Burne-Jones, Maurice Prendergast and Kiki Smith.
In 1965, Dr. Walter Landauer, an internationally recognized geneticist and professor, gave the University 107 Kollwitz prints and drawings. In 1966, during the Presidency of Dr. Homer Babbidge, these treasures and the Beach Collection, which by then included works by such well-known artists as Mary Cassatt, George Bellows and others, found a home at the Museum later named in honor of prominent Connecticut Senator and University trustee William Benton. His family generously donated to the Museum some of his sizable collection of Reginald Marsh paintings and works by other important 20th century American artists.
The Benton Museum remains true to President Beach's vision by providing the academic community, the citizens of the State of Connecticut and the general public with diverse and widely acclaimed exhibitions, lectures, recitals, and readings. The Museum has an exceptionally fine collection of more than 5,500 works including paintings, drawings, watercolors, prints, photographs, and sculptures.
The future is bright for the Benton with the new addition including the Evelyn Simon Gilman Gallery, new and refurbished galleries and lecture areas, an elegant Members Lounge, Cafe Muse, and The Store. This expansion serves to enhance the Benton's reputation as a museum of significance, a vital part of the University environment, and an important art venue in the Northeast.
Exhibitions
Women of New England: Dress from the Industrial Age, 1850–1900
January 17 through March 11
Classical Mythology in Modern and Contemporary Art
January 17 through March 11
Themes from the Collections: The 16th to the 21st Century
January 17 through March 11
