A new wing is being dedicated in the University of Mississippi Museum this weekend which will permanently house a collection meant to share stories of civilizations past.
“While this is not a new wing architecturally, this is the 1939 original museum building which was called the Mary Buie Museum,” museum director Robert Saarnio said. “It connects to the 1977 building which is where all the museum exhibits are currently.”
The wing will open its first gallery this weekend, which will reinstall the Greek and Roman antiquities, which were previously on display in the center portion of the building. The collection dates all the way back to 1500 BCE with beautiful pottery that has lasted for thousands of years. Hand painted and sculpted, this collection offers a glimpse into historic artistry. A sample of the collection is displayed in the Lyceum, with the rest on display in this gallery for public viewing.
This collection was provided by the late University of Mississippi professor David M. Robinson and his wife, the late Helen Tudor Robinson, which has provided students access to the collection for research and historical references.
The museum’s Antiquities Collections manager Melanie Munns said this wing will be dedicated to the “display of the Museum’s most widely renowned collection,” and is a priceless collection of history to the university, as well as the South. The gallery will also have an Introduction to the Ancient Mediterranean World area, with a wall map and timeline for better context of the pieces and time periods they belong to, and serve for educational purposes at the museum.
Also housed in the wing will be display cases exhibiting the Grecian pottery and a collection of artifacts from cultures around the Mediterranean. This will be a permanent gallery, as the wing will become the home for the entire collection in the museum. This means students, faculty, and the community will be able to view this collection for many years to come.
Today, the University Museum will hold a celebration of the Mary Buie wing’s opening and reinstallation of this collection. The proceeds from this event will go toward the reinstallation of the museum’s current Greek and Roman antiquities. The event starts at 6:30 p.m with a cocktail hour, with the dinner portion starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 with entertainment provided by the Lilac Performance Collective.
Check out the centuries-old collection at the University Museum, which is open to the public every day except for Sunday and Monday. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free for all ages.
