After closing its doors for nearly two years of renovations, the Brunnier Art Museum invites all university students and the community of Ames to the “Beyond the Glass” Reopening Gala this Thursday to celebrate its 44th anniversary and debut the newly redesigned space.

Due to such an extensive remodel taking almost 20 months to complete, many Iowa State students have yet to visit the Brunnier Art Museum. The “Beyond the Glass” Reopening Gala will provide an opportunity to appreciate the cultural legacy of the arts on campus and give a first look at the new public art installation and three world-class exhibitions: “Artists in Iowa: The First Century,” “The Art of Jennifer Steinkamp” and “Contemporary and Iowa Pottery.”

“Artists in Iowa: The First Century” exhibition will feature over 45 Iowa artists and their interpretation of the landscape and life within it throughout the state’s history.

The fusion of technology and traditional mediums can be seen in “The Art of Jennifer Steinkamp” exhibit. Steinkamp incorporates the theme of nature, which is commonly associated with painting mediums, in a digitally animated 3-D piece that will be projected onto the walls as living pictures.

Over the course of the past five years, through the charitable donations of multiple artists and art collectors, University Museums has been able to expand its contemporary and Iowa pottery collections enough to have its own exhibit as well. Each collection showcases the use of an array of materials and techniques and a variety of elements in ceramic-making, ranging from functional to abstract.

A brief program will be presented prior to revealing the museum’s 26-foot-long glass front entrance spanning from floor to ceiling. The soundtrack to the evening will be provided by Iowa State musicians and guests may enjoy a selection of art-inspired desserts.

The gala will also include the dedication of the new Lori A. Jacobson Gallery to honor the Iowa State University alum who got her start at Iowa State University and made personal and professional contributions over the span of several decades to Iowa State University and University Museums. This new gallery increases the existing exhibition area by 1,800 square feet.

In addition to the reconfigured exhibition space and the entirely glass entrance, the community will be able to see the modernized Hilsinger Jansen Collections Vault and an updated office space for museum staff.

The “Beyond the Glass” gala, hosted by University Museums, will be free and open to the public from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the second floor lobby of the Scheman Building. Cocktail attire is suggested and free parking will be available in the lots north and south of the Scheman building. RSVP is preferred, but not required. Guests can RSVP online on the University Museums website.