League Reaffirmation - Johnson County Community College

Nerman Museum of
Contemporary Art
Recognizing the important role that JCCC could play in cultivating an
awareness and appreciation of the visual arts, in 1980 the college’s
board of trustees approved a yearly art acquisition program. A guiding
principle for the acquisitions was that the works be installed in a variety of
locations throughout the campus. Accessibility and visibility were deemed
vital to ensuring that art would be readily available to students and the
community. Ultimately, the trustees thought, a permanent collection best
enables students to directly engage with art on a daily basis. For many
students, the works of art they encounter on college campuses are their
first exposure to the richness and diversity of artistic expression.
Since then, JCCC has been collecting contemporary art from around the
world, each year adding new pieces to the collection. Today, the work
of more than 600 local, regional, national and international artists is
represented in JCCC’s prestigious collection, which features a diverse
range of painting, photography, clay, sculpture and works on paper.
The college’s collection is installed in “focus” areas in the corridors,
dining halls and other highly visible and accessible locations around
campus, sparking a spontaneous engagement with art for students,
faculty, staff and visitors.
In April 2006, Public Art Review magazine named JCCC as one of the
top 10 university/college campuses for public art in America, citing the
outdoor sculpture and the paintings, ceramics, photography and works
on paper installed throughout the campus.
In 1990, JCCC opened a Gallery of Art in its new Cultural Education
Center (renamed the Carlsen Center in 1998). In its 3,000 square feet of
exhibition space, JCCC’s Gallery of Art offered many of the region’s most
important exhibitions focusing on contemporary art. Drawn from museums,
galleries, studios and private collections throughout the country, five
annual exhibitions featured a broad spectrum of artistic expression and
endeavor.
The gallery closed in early 2007 in anticipation of the October opening
of the new Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Measuring more than
38,000 square feet, the Nerman Museum is the largest contemporary art
museum in the four­state region and the only contemporary art museum
in Kansas. The Nerman Museum features more than 12,000 square feet
of exhibition space, including major temporary exhibition galleries,
permanent collection galleries, a new media gallery and an intimate
“focus” gallery. In addition, a project gallery is devoted to area artists,
a unique commitment.
The museum is named for Jerome and Margaret Nerman and their son,
Lewis, in recognition of their lead gift in 2003 to help found an art
museum for JCCC. The Nermans are among the region’s most prominent
collectors of contemporary art.
The museum also houses Café Tempo, a 200­seat auditorium, two art
education classrooms for children and adults, art storage and preparation
areas and a museum shop.
“My wife, Marti, and I have
been involved with JCCC for
more than 15 years and have
been directly involved with its
art program by funding the
Oppenheimer Collection on
campus and at the new
Nerman Museum of
Contemporary Art. We have
been impressed with the
college’s quality of education
and with the impact JCCC has
had on our community.
Without question, JCCC is the
most important institution in
Johnson County. With the
opening of the Nerman
Museum, Johnson County has
become an attraction and
destination point for art and
culture nationally.”
– H. Tony Oppenheimer,
managing director at The
Private Bank, president of
the Oppenheimer Brothers
Foundation; donor
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