Memorial Union Gallery
Our Union houses a 1,236-square-foot art gallery that features rotating exhibits.
The Memorial Union Gallery, fondly referred to as "the MUG", is managed by UND Art Collections. This beautiful and contemporary gallery hosts multiple art exhibitions each year, with shows that change approximately every 90 days. The MUG primarily features the work of UND Department of Art & Design students, faculty, and visiting artists.
- 4-5 exhibitions per year
- Customizable lighting configurations
- Operated by students, curated by an alumna
Merrifield Wasn't Built in a Day: A Selection from the UND Art Collections Living Art Museum
This selection of artwork from UND Art Collections is inspired by classical and ancient literature and is a small sample of the art specifically curated for Merrifield Hall, which will house the humanities departments including Languages, Philosophy, and Literature. Each artwork was chosen for Merrifield by UND Art Collections students and staff. We chose works we felt would encourage inquiry and a sense of wonder in the viewer, perhaps even inspiring the viewer to create. A touch of humor and nostalgia is included in this show, represented in items such as the iconic carpeting from Merrifield Hall.
Although this exhibit is comprised of pieces that beckon to the past, they often purvey modern ideas conveyed through a satyrical lens of the ancients. Warrington Colescott’s The Last Judgement: Judgement conveys a version of hell in which a cliche, red devil shows unfortunate souls video evidence of the sins that have led to their placement in hell. While this is a far cry from Michelangelo’s depiction of The Last Judgement (c. 1536–1541) in the Sistine Chapel, Colescott uses modern imagery to take on a pivotal subject from the history of art. Audrey Flack’s print, Daphne Speaks conveys the tree spirit from Greek mythology as a contemporary feminist icon. The bullets on Daphne’s head refer to the issue of violence against women in today’s world. Daphne is known for her escape of an attack at the hands of the Greek god Apollo by turning into a laurel tree.
While we all excitedly anticipate the official opening of Merrifield Hall, it is the intention of UND Art Collections that these pieces will serve as a reminder of the beauty that can come from taking something classic and beloved and re-imagining it in a new way that better reflects who we are now as we continue to grow and improve the world around us.
Hours
9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Mon. - Fri.
Closed on holidays
About UND Art Collections
UND Art Collections oversees the curation, display, and preservation of approximately 30,000 pieces of art and art-related objects by regional and internationally known artists. Artists in the collections include Salvador Dali, Audrey Flack, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Andy Warhol and many others. The extensive collections contain paintings, photography, sculptures, pottery and ceramics, Chinese papercuts, drawings, jewelry and metalwork, fabrics and textiles, furniture, multi-media work, artist books, as well as artist and gallery ephemera.