The Chazen Museum of Art lights up the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus with its 23,000-piece collection of art from various time periods and across the globe. Its walkway over part of the campus and floor-to-ceiling glass walls contain the art that is ready to be visited. An immensely impactful benefactor to the museum, Jerome Chazen, has recently passed. As his legacy is being told now more than ever, the museum continues to serve as a unique space for both the classroom and education in general.

Chazen and his family are a key component in the museum that is seen today, and they are the reason the Chazen Museum will have a long-lasting influence. The magnitude of his donation of $20 million prompted the museum name change to the Chazen Museum of Art, while the older facility retained the Elvehjem name. 

There is no doubting the impact Jerome Chazen had on the people that work day and night for the museum. Chief of Staff Lindsay Grinstead consistently emphasized how down-to-earth both Jerome and his wife Simona are. Students seem to acknowledge and recognize their importance, even as people who may have never worked or had contact with them directly. UW-Madison student, Jordan Bartosiak, was unaware of Jerome Chazen’s contributions but acknowledges the value that this free resource provides students. 

“I didn’t know much about [Jerome Chazen] before this interview, but I’m glad I was able to learn more. I think his donations really add value to the campus. The Chazen is a great mental health break. Because it’s free I can walk around and check new things out all the time. It gives students a chance to grab a coffee and relax between classes. From the times that I’ve been, it always seems that they have an extensive collection with a variety of things,” said Bartosiak. 

The expansion allowed for 20,000 more square feet of gallery space, more art storage space, and a new auditorium and object study room. This really shows the Chazen Museum’s attempt to emphasize the educational aspect the museum has to offer. 

Grinstead and other staff members really believe the Chazen is a teaching museum in all aspects. The facility is there for students just as much as it is for other members of the Madison community as well. They have specific departments that work with UW departments to make sure content is connected and relevant year-round. 

Professors from every department are well aware of the exceptional resources available in the museum. Professor William Aylward from the Classics department at UW-Madison is very familiar with the building as there is a dedicated gallery to ancient Greek and Roman art. As soon as he arrived to teach on campus in 2000, he immediately started involving student assignments to look at the antiquities on display. Students in his classes will go to the museum at least once per semester. 

He is certain that the Chazen is fundamental to the undergraduate experience. As someone who is well-versed in classical antiquities and knowledge, he believes it’s an exceptional collection of antiquities for a campus of our size in the Midwest. The object study room is just one resource he said he has really worked to take advantage of with the generous staff of the Chazen. His colleagues in the Classics department utilize the Chazen just as much as he does, with other assignments being scavenger hunts and overall finding new ways to get students excited about the past. 

Art is an integral part of the learning process. “Students learn in different ways. Learning through the visual arts is one of those ways. Having a first-time experience examining objects…is one of those many ways of learning. Even if students specialize in different ways of learning, going to the museum and conducting an autopsy of an open artifact and examining coins, pottery, or Roman mosaics…elevates the learning experience for any student,” said Aylward. While looking at a picture of a piece of history on a lecture slide is one thing, seeing it in person is a whole different layer of value. 

As for the students themselves, they also find a way to combine education and entertainment. As a member of the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program, Bartosiak has recently had to take a trip to the museum. “In URS we went to Jeanine Yorimoto Boldt’s talk and in the next week, three of our groups decided to go back to the Chazen for an extra assignment/class plan. For my group, we had them look for portraits that were similar to what Jeanine talked about…We incorporated talk about performance, and spoken word, along with art as expression and creation. We had a discussion around the value of the different forms of education and expression and how that value can be super multidisciplinary,” she said. 

That’s not to say that the museum can’t be used for enjoyment either. Just within the past year, she has traveled there twice to view the art on display. She said, “I like that it gives me something to do that’s different from other things. It’s indoors, and I like going every once in a while to check out the new art. I don’t feel as guilty about the amount of time I stay since it’s free. I also enjoy seeing some of my favorite pieces.” 

Within the museum walls, there are opportunities that many may not know exist. The legacy of Jerome Chazen and the generosity of his family have allowed a catalyst of growth for the museum in becoming a hub for research, education, and art. As Lindsay Grinstead echos, it truly shows how one UW-Madison student can leave such a large footprint on an institution as grand as the UW-Madison one.