Hidden gems on display at gallery

Not too many University of Richmond students visit the Lora Robins Gallery, an on-campus museum hidden behind the large wooden double doors in front of Lakeview Hall.

"Very often we hear seniors saying, 'I've walked by this every day for four years. I'm finally coming in for a visit and I wish I would have done it earlier,'" said Heather Campbell, curator of University Museums.

Senior Amy Nicholas knows the gallery better than most. She spent 10 weeks this summer as part of a summer fellowship creating her own exhibition for the Lora Robins Gallery, called "Exploring Patterns, Texture and Rhythm in Natural Objects from the Collection."

The initial part of Nicholas' job was to look through the museum's databases of thousands of objects and images until she found pieces that fit the description of pattern, texture and rhythm for her exhibit.

"[Nicholas] has a natural ability to choose objects that are not only beautiful to look at, but interesting scientifically," Campbell said.

Along with filling the seven cases in the middle of the gallery for her exhibition, Nicholas also had to research the rocks and minerals she chose, noting their growth habits as well as how they form patterns.

Nicholas, a studio art and classics double major and an art history and archaeology double minor, decided she would like to work on such a project while on an archaeological excavation at a Turkish Byzantine church during the summer of 2009.

She said she would like to do museum work after she graduated, but admitted it was hard to get a job in a museum.

"It's hard for everyone to get a job now though, so I'm on the same boat as everyone else," she said.

Nicholas has been working in the museum since her sophomore year, and said even she had not known much about the museum when she started.

"Because there's so much stuff and such a wide range in the gallery, sometimes it's a little overwhelming," Nicholas said. "It's not the same as going into one of the galleries across campus and seeing paintings."

Nicholas said the aim of the Lora Robins Gallery was to show where things came from. She highlighted a display of jade as an example.

"There's a rough piece of jade, then there's a polished piece and then there's a ring with jade," she said. "There's a lot more people can relate to in the museum than they think."

Jackie Huffines, the museum receptionist, has been working in the gallery for 30 years. This year's attendance logs showed between five and 30 visitors a day, which Huffines said was less than 30 percent of students.

"I think if I can make it interesting for the kids, more will come," Huffines said. "I love this place. I want to see 100 percent [of the] students."

Contact staff writer Zak Kozuchowski at zak.kozuchowski@richmond.edu