Elevated, ghostlike sculptures with huge heads, clothed in white, robe-like garments and wearing talismans representing their identities, appear peaceful with an eternal gaze.
Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center
Stetson University Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center Selected to Participate in Preservation Program
Assessment will survey collections, buildings at site
Stetson University’s Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center is one of 75 institutions chosen to participate in the inaugural year of the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program. It is home to the largest collection of art by modernist painter Oscar Bluemner, with more than 1,000 pieces bequeathed to the university by the artist’s daughter, Vera Bluemner Kouba. Hand Art Center on the Stetson University campus is at 139 East Michigan Avenue, DeLand, Florida, 32723, and is open to the public free of charge.
Administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artist Works, CAP assists museums in improving the care of their collections by providing support for a conservation assessment of the museum’s collections and buildings. A team of two preservation professionals will spend two days surveying the site and meeting with staff before preparing a comprehensive report that will identify preventive conservation priorities. The assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years. Hand Art Center expects this program to be a first step in the pursuit of accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums.
“We are honored that Hand Art Center has been selected to participate in the CAP program,” said Tonya Curran, director of the center. “As we move toward the goal of accreditation, this program is critical to assisting us in perfecting our policies and ensuring the center is a premier venue for visiting exhibitions.”
The CAP program is administered by FAIC through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant-making agency that supports museums and libraries.
In addition to Oscar Bluemner collection, the Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center also has a broad collection of artwork by Stetson University students, art faculty and alumni. The 5,000-square-foot building includes multiple galleries: The Oscar Bluemner Gallery exhibits rotating selections of the artist’s work from the Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection and the Gary Libby Gallery hosts exhibits from the university’s permanent art collection or special shows. Except for holidays and school vacations, Hand Art Center is open Monday through Wednesday and Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Saturday, noon-4 p.m. All exhibits are open to the public free of charge.
