Introduction
Our Museum leverages the educational resources available to it through its affiliation with the National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA). By establishing close relationships with the university's five major colleges and departments – including fine art, design, performance, communications, and humanities – the museum also contributes to advancing the university's education and sustainable management schemes. It shares its valuable social education resources with these institutes, thus evolving into a modern, creative art museum with abundant educational assets.
Moreover, Our Museum is dedicated to providing a wide variety of professional services such as exhibitions, collections research, education, artist-in-residence programmes, and other international exchange events. It connects the main building, art galleries, renovated dormitories on its old campus, and external venues to showcase artworks. These initiatives aim to inspire students, faculty members, and the general public, encouraging them to raise questions and present their own works of art. By fostering relationships between art creators and viewers, the museum contributes to the creations of a co-learning community while demonstrating its innovation, heritage, and realisation skills as the hub of diverse art communities.
Positioning itself as an urban art centre that enriches the city's culture, the museum maximises its resources, revitalises them, and connects them with international trends. This enables the museum to fulfil its role as an art education centre, providing resources to students, faculty, and the general public.
With the construction of our new museum building on the horizon, we eagerly anticipate its materialisation as a physical embodiment of our values as a renowned art university. This new facility will serve as a vital connection between urban and remote areas, nurturing cultural development and acting as a catalyst for artistic expression.
Background and Purpose
In 2004, Dr. HUANG Kuang-nan, a pioneering researcher in Taiwan's museum studies, assumed office as the university chancellor. He proposed the establishment of a university museum, envisioning the professional practice of museology to reshape the art university. Subsequently, in 2006, the university administration conference approved regulations for the establishment of an art museum. On March 24, 2008, the university officially inaugurated a renowned, professional art museum under its auspices, offering exhibitions, collections, research, education, and public services to visitors. This museum since then has served as a versatile community institution that is modern, creative, and well-connected, with the goal of becoming a centre for art education.
On top of that, the completion of the Historical Object Conservation Research Centre in 2010 has provided a conducive environment for learning about the collection and preservation of artworks. This centre offers conservation units, making it an ideal venue for our students to acquire knowledge and techniques in these areas. The centre emphasises the integration of theory and practice, aiming to set a benchmark for domestic and international university museums
The Architecture
The museum is renovated from an old administrative building completed in 1967, spanning three floors and totalling approximately 990 square meters. Our Museum holds the distinction of being the first professional museum established by an art university in Taiwan, serving as a perfect case study of the reuse and renovation of an existing campus building. Architect Jimmy YANG, adhering to the principle of "preserving the original building's appearance while infusing it with a modern aesthetic", designed the museum.
Museum Floorplan
The museum utilises glass walls throughout the building to encapsulate the classics and glory of NTUA. Its art galleries not only exude a humanities vibe but also blend in a modern aesthetic by featuring transparent spaces that allow visitors to see through the galleries, while maintaining convenient access routes on campus.
The first floor is designated to house the University Archives and Cafeteria. Both the second and third floors serve as galleries dedicated to promoting art education, with the "Special Exhibition Zone" showcasing the distinctive features and exciting exhibitions of the university's five colleges.
Collection and Research
NTUA has a rich history in art education, making it relatively easy for us to receive artwork donations from collectors, artists, and outstanding alumni. We deeply appreciate the generous contributions made by our donors and value the mechanism for collecting works created by exceptional graduates. As a result, we proudly boast a collection of 1,568 pieces of artwork, with the collection continuously expanding.
Our diverse collection includes Eastern and Western art, mixed media works, seal engravings, sculptures, and folk art, enriching the cultural assets of Our Museum. However, the significant number of works we receive also underscores our need for additional storage facilities on campus. We recognise that our current lack of storage space may deter future donors from contributing artworks to us. Therefore, we are committed to making changes in this regard, and a new construction plan is currently in progress.
Our Missions
One of the primary missions of Our Museum is to collect artworks that showcase the art education history of NTUA. Our focus extends to art pieces, studies, teaching materials, performances, and exhibitions that illustrate this rich heritage. Additionally, we preserve works created by emerging artists and exhibit artifacts with cultural, historical, and artistic significance.
Through our professional collection management practices, we ensure the proper preservation, maintenance, and restoration of the collected works. The outcome of our efforts forms an integral part of the broader art and cultural legacy that belongs to the public. Through exhibitions, publications, and educational events highlighting our collection, we aim to rejuvenate the works and foster communication with the public. We aspire for art to become an integral part of people's lives, thereby enhancing public aesthetics. In fulfilling our goals to promote art and culture, we endeavour to make art an integral part of social service.
Education
Our Museum recognises the trend of cross-domain art and the growing significance of museology in today's world. As such, we take proactive measures to provide internship opportunities for talented and ambitious students who are interested in art administration tasks. We organise various workshops focusing on curatorial projects, exhibitions, guided tours, art criticism, conservation, and much more. Our goal is to cultivate a new generation of art administrators and promote international academic exchange, nurturing passionate individuals capable of supporting administrative tasks and becoming elite leaders in cultural diplomacy and art promotion in the long term.
Furthermore, Our Museum actively engages with local agencies and communities, extending invitations to students and faculty members from nearby schools to visit the museum and benefit from its educational resources. These schools include the National Overseas Chinese Senior High School, Da Guan Elementary School, and Da Guan Junior High School, as well as other educational institutions in Banqiao District and New Taipei City.
Prospects
Our Museum is a unique university museum with ambitious medium- and long-term development goals. We are committed to planning special exhibitions, hosting exchange events with other museums, strategizing for public relations and marketing efforts, and providing professional consultation services in museology. Additionally, we remain dedicated to collecting artworks, promoting art education, and enhancing our educational offerings as an art resource development centre.
The university integrates various spaces available on campus to develop the museum design plan. In addition to the main building (approximately 694 sq m), there are four other galleries: the International Exhibition Hall (317 sq m), Dahan Gallery (327 sq m), Daguan Gallery (327 sq m), and Zhenshanmei Gallery (317 sq m), totaling a 2274-sq-m space on campus, along with the art villages in the north of the campus. Furthermore, aside from the special exhibitions planned annually, these venues host over 100 exhibitions organised by the university or external teams. Additionally, all departments and colleges at NTUA have their own exhibition spaces within their buildings. For example, the Chinese Music Department boasts a rich collection of musical instruments in its showroom.
To enhance accessibility to this wealth of information, Our Museum has developed its own website and digital archive systems. These platforms disseminate exhibition information through our database and hyperlinks. We have also included a FAQ section on our website to provide users with more information about gallery rentals, exhibition installations, and other services, thereby fulfilling our platform goals to facilitate remote access to information and make services more convenient for users.
NTUA has cultivated numerous outstanding artists over the years. Our Museum endeavours to elevate the quality of our curatorial projects, exhibition venues, and general services, transforming our galleries into more suitable venues for students, faculty members, and external artists to showcase their works. We anticipate that these exhibitions will inspire visitors, enhance the quality of teaching and learning at the school, foster discussions on contemporary artworks and aesthetics, and familiarise a broader audience base with contemporary art.
Our Museum looks forward to organising more collaborative programmes and establishing partnerships with artists, academic institutions, and international exchange event organisers in the future. Through these initiatives, we aim to empower our students, faculty, and the general public to enhance their critical thinking skills, raise questions, and develop diverse cultural perspectives. Ultimately, Our Museum aims to serve as a model teaching resource centre, fulfilling its role as a museum to promote lifelong learning and social education.
