Abstract:
Westbrook describes Duke University's new art museum, the Nasher Museum of Art, opened in October 2005. Formerly, the Duke University Museum of Art was located in what was once a science building. The museum takes its new name from its major benefactor, Raymond D. Nasher, a 1943 Duke alumnus. Uruguayan-born architect Rafael Vinoly designed the museum. The Nashers collected modern American and pre-Columbian art. Their 20th-century modern sculpture collection is one of the world's most extensive and significant private collections, and part of their collection is currently on exhibit. The 65,000-square-foot museum features 14,000 square feet of exhibit space, a cafe, a museum shop, and classrooms.