Representatives of the Church, BYU, state and local governments, and major donors gathered March 26 for formal groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Brigham Young University Museum of Fine Arts.
Representing BYU's Board of Trustees, Relief Society Gen. Pres. Elaine L. Jack said, "This museum will have a great effect on individual people who are moved by the arts to do noble acts."With the pace and perplexity of life, museums are a humanizing part of life, Sister Jack said.
A 12-projector, multi-image slide presentation illustrated some of the art work from BYU's 15,000-piece permanent collection, which will be featured in the new museum.
Construction work on the 100,000-square-foot structure, located north of the Harris Fine Arts Center, began March 7 and is scheduled to be completed in two years.
When completed, it will be the largest art museum between Denver and the Pacific Coast, said James Mason, dean of BYU's College of Fine Arts and Communications.
The structure's architect is James Langenheim, who designed the Harris Fine Arts Center, as well as San Francisco's Transamerica Tower and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
According to BYU Pres. Rex E. Lee, the museum is being "constructed entirely from donated funds. Because people have been so generous, we won't have to use tithing funds of the Church," Pres. Lee said.
