Welcome to the Bisignano Art Gallery. We are in the Heritage Center. Open Monday-Friday, 12pm-5pm. Always free.

The current COVID-19 crisis has prompted hand-wringing and self-reflection among galleries and museums worldwide. What shall we do? With social distancing, should galleries remain closed? With no openings - usually with art crowds and good food - how can art galleries remain relevant?

Exhibits take time to plan. So we have decided to (1) continue our exhibits as planned, and (2) keep the exhibits vibrant by diving into the digital realm. If you cannot make it to see any of our exhibits in the Gallery, we will be open virtually. It's not the same, but we are determined to show art. So please visit us in the Heritage Center. And if you can't, we invite you to spend some time exploring our website with its images, texts and videos.

This pandemic crisis has raised a raft of questions for galleries, some of which pertain to their relevance – if they have to remain shut – and others which address how galleries might evolve to reflect the current situation. What will our roles be in post-COVID-19. Who can a gallery serve, if its only instance is an online version? These are crucial questions, and all of them fall within the realm of our UD academic community. And if anything, the current crisis has forced galleries and museums to consider questions that have been emergent for some time.

The Gallery is a project of the DART Department and the Museum Studies students. We are excited to support these artists and see their work this year. Please plan to explore our exhibits this year - in person or digitally or both.

Alan Garfield, Director
Bisignano Art Gallery. University of Dubuque
agarfield@dbq.edu