I found out last week that the Alumni Memorial Hall, which houses the University of Michigan Art Museum, is set to undergo a renovation in 2006. According to the project description, the renovation will increase the museum space to more than double.

My take – I sort of hate it but at the same time, the plan looks daring, much like the pyramid at the Louvre. The Art Museum has Roman feeling to it and the plan includes a modern design. There is a model of what the Art Museum would look like after completion in the building lobby.


Despite my possible reservation of what I'd call a clash of the temporal dimension, the plan would probably do lots of good to the area. From my understanding of the building style, passersby would be able to see what's going on inside the Museum, or at least inside the proposed extension, from the outside. It would give a feeling of openness to the building.

Anyway, somebody donated 5 million dollar to the Museum for renovation purpose.


Too much money – that’s all I could say when I first saw it. At least, it is for a good purpose.

Lastly, in the Museum, there is this one huge painting - hung on a wall, needless to say - which nothing drawn on the canvas. Just a huge frame, colored with purple painted on it. I stood in front of the painting, trying to figure out what the "work of art" is all about for a moment or two. After that, I asked myself, "why am I staring at a blank framed purple-painted canvas?"

I appreciate art, but what I did is stupidity at its best.