On April 29, 2025, the Wanlass Center for Art Education and Research (Wanlass Center) at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA/the Museum) will officially open at a public celebration at Utah State University (USU) in Logan, Utah. The new $7.6 million cultural facility provides opportunity for engagement with NEHMA’s premier collection of modern and contemporary American art with emphasis on art of the American West in tandem with the Museum’s acclaimed exhibitions and programs. The collection will be more accessible through visible storage and flexible display areas where museum staff can select and display objects as needed for classes, researchers, and the public.
Open to the public, visitors may use the new facility in a customized way to support curriculum, academic, or personal learning interests. Designed by Sparano + Mooney Architecture, the new facility has the capacity to further enhance the educational experience for all students, scholars, and the general public and secure NEHMA’s position as a national leader of museums focused on American art. Additionally, it provides richer engagement with K-12 and community learning more about how museums function and their civic roles.
The 10,000-square-foot facility presents a unique opportunity for visitors to access artworks via interactive learning opportunities. The new facility doubles the Museum’s collection storage capacity, allowing for growth and better access. Large, glazed panels reveal selections from the collection in an “open” storage system. The Study Room, with direct proximity to the art storage area, features collection material on integrated easels for a direct experience with artworks. The Research Library houses the Museum’s publications and artists’ archival material, and a computer kiosk is available to explore the digital collections. The Art Classroom provides another opportunity for curation with space for K-12 programming and art-making activities.
The public opening on April 29, from 2 ‒ 4 pm, will include welcome remarks and ribbon cutting by USU President Al Smith; former Utah House Representative, former Edith Bowen Principal, and Interim Executive Director of Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection, Dan Johnson; USU Vice President of Foundations and Corporations, Jon Paulding; philanthropist George Wanlass; architects John Sparano and Anne Mooney; and NEHMA Executive Director Katie Lee-Koven. Tours of the building will follow opening remarks.
The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting modern and contemporary visual art to promote dialogue about ideas fundamental to contemporary society. NEHMA provides meaningful engagement with art from the 20th and 21st centuries to support the educational mission of Utah State University, in Logan, Utah. NEHMA offers complementary public programs such as lectures, panels, tours, concerts, and symposia to serve the university and regional community. Admission is free and open to the public.
More information: https://www.usu.edu/artmuseum/
