WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University’s collection of bronze sculptures by French impressionist Edgar Degas will soon be displayed in new locations across the university’s West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses.
The move will give students, faculty, staff and visitors opportunities to encounter the artwork in everyday campus spaces rather than having the collection concentrated in a single gallery.
The Degas Gallery in Purdue Memorial Union will close October 9. The sculptures will be relocated during winter recess and are expected to be installed in their new locations before classes resume in January.
Purdue plans to announce the new locations during the first week of December. A map showing where each sculpture is located will also be available through Purdue University Galleries.
The collection includes bronze sculptures representing several themes found in Degas’ work, including dancers and horses.
Among the pieces is “La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans,” or “Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen.”
(Photo from Purdue University)
The collection was donated to Purdue by alumnus Avrum Gray, who earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1956.
Purdue officials said moving the artwork throughout campus will allow more people to encounter the sculptures as part of their daily routines.
The university said the original Degas Gallery was designed with the understanding that the artwork could eventually be relocated because the display cases and lighting were created to be moved.
The new approach is intended to bring art into more areas of campus and create additional opportunities for students and visitors to experience the collection.
