A box full of doorknobs is not exactly where one expects to find a valuable piece of art, but that is exactly where one of the works displayed in the Victoria Myhren Gallery’s current exhibition, “A Decade of Gifts and Discoveries,” was collected. In fact, the gallery presents works found in basements, attics and dark corners, according to Dan Jacobs, curator and gallery director.

The exhibition, which is open Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. until March 9, highlights over 130 artworks from around the world. Alumni and members of the DU community donated most of the pieces while some were previously missing and rediscovered in various departments around campus. Each artwork carries a unique story, and Jacobs can relay almost all of them with contagious excitement and pride.
For students who have not yet perused the gallery, it is not one to miss.

“It’s the kind of show that there really is something for everybody,” said Jacobs.

The exhibit’s diversity not only represents a vast timeline across DU’s history; it is designed to attract students with interests across the board. “A Decade of Gifts and Discoveries” boasts a variety of media including paintings on skateboards, sculptures, Southwestern pottery by Maria Martinez, multiple collections of photography and Historic Asian culture pieces (there is even a 19th-century Chinese imperial court robe). A giant Andy Warhol silkscreen highlights the collection, with four more works expected to arrive from the Andy Warhol Center.

“A lot of the student body will relate to this type of material,” said Jacobs.

A complete catalog of the pieces included can be found on the Victoria Myhren Gallery website.

This particular exhibit was specifically intended to coincide with the sesquicentennial celebration at DU and concludes 1864 Week, the university’s week-long birthday celebration which includes events like the Founder’s Day Gala on March 5. The 1864 Week kickoff includes a presentation about William Driscoll, longtime faculty member and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences—and of course, namesake of the student center. Driscoll’s widow, Helen, donated 59 works to the Art School, several of which are on display. Even long after William Driscoll’s death in 1983, his family is still intimately involved with the university.

The exhibit emphasizes the “collective effort” necessary to put together not only this assemblage of art, but any gallery that DU puts on, according to Jacobs. Helen Driscoll’s generosity is just one example of this overall theme that DU School of Art holds close to “A Decade of Gifts and Discoveries.” On each artwork label, the donor is named first instead of the artist, in order to stress the recognition and appreciation the Art School has for its alumni and donors.

The exhibition also contains a few pieces by former DU faculty members. A collection of Colorado-themed pieces by John Thompson, including an oil painting of a rural landscape depicting a path and house, are some of the first pieces seen when walking into the gallery. Thompson served on the faculty during the 1930s and 1940s.

“That’s one of the great things about a university is that you get these great connections between people that survive for decades,” said Jacobs.

After “A Decade of Gifts and Discoveries” closes on March 9, some of the artwork will find permanent homes around campus and come back in other exhibitions. However, all of the art displayed in this gallery and many more pieces (about 3,000) are held at the Art School’s new site, the Hampden Art Study Center, located off the Hampden Frontage Road. Directions can be found through the DU Art Facebook Page.