James and Gladys Kemp Lisanby Museum
Current Exhibition
The Lisanby Museum is closed for the summer break. Please scroll down for information on upcoming exhibitions and opening dates.
Hours
The Lisanby Museum is currently closed and will reopen in the fall. For questions about access to the Madison Art Collection, please contact Director Ginny Soenksen at soenksvm@jmu.edu.
Upcoming Exhibitions
Savoring the Moon: Japanese Art of the Floating World
September 9 to December 2, 2022
This exhibition highlights the Madison Art Collection’s impressive collection of Japanese paintings and woodblock prints in the ukiyo-e style. Enormously popular during the Edo (1600-1868) and Meiji period (1868 – 1912), ukiyo-e, or “pictures of the floating world,” depict life’s fleeting pleasures in an increasingly urban environment. From famous views to images of actors and courtesans, ukiyo-e offers a glimpse of everyday life in early modern Japan. In Savoring the Moon, visitors will be able to view never-before-seen prints and a newly restored painting by Komuro Suiun, a noted artist whose paintings reside in the Imperial Household Collection.
Dangerous Beauty: Weapons as Art
January 31 - April 29, 2023
At once functional, beautiful, and deadly, weapons have existed for as long as civilization itself. Though often defined by the violence they can wreck rather than their value as works of art, armaments often combine practical elements with artistic practices. Dangerous Beauty invites visitors to view these objects through an aesthetic lens and reconsider the very definition of art. Featuring objects from cultures across the world, this exhibition showcases the rich holdings of the Madison Art Collection in the first encyclopedic display of its armaments.
Access
Faculty, students, and community members may request access to specific objects during the academic year by contacting Director Ginny Soenksen (soenksvm@jmu.edu or 540-568-2661).
Past Exhibitions
Parking
Free parking is available for visitors to the Madison Art Collection and Lisanby Museum in the pay-by-space parking spaces in D3 Lot, across from the Festival Conference and Student Center. Call us at 540-568-2661 during business hours prior to your visit for a code to enter at the pay station for free parking. A JMU permit is required for parking outside of the pay-by-space area and vehicles without permits are subject to citation.
JMU Parking Services also provides visitors with parking permits at no charge during normal business hours (7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Monday through Friday). Visitors are not required to display permits after 3:00 PM on Friday and may park in the Commuter and Resident lots. Email your questions to parkingservices@jmu.edu or call 540.568.3300.
Group Visits
Group tours are possible with advance notice by contacting Director Ginny Soenksen (soenksvm@jmu.edu or 540-568-2661).