Carlos Museum Honors Contributions of Michael Graves in Spring Fundraiser Today

The Michael C. Carlos Museum celebrates the 20th anniversary of the 1993 expansion designed by Michael Graves, paying tribute to his direct and lasting contribution to Emory University. Graves will serve as honorary chair of the museum's signature annual fundraiser, Veneralia, to be held today, March 16, 2013.

Michael Graves and the Carlos Museum
When famed architect Michael Graves agreed to come to Emory in the early 1980's to design the renovation of a historic campus building, it was considered an architectural coup. One of the "New York Five," Graves was a rising superstar in architecture and design. What followed was a long and fruitful relationship between Graves and the Carlos Museum, leading to a 1993 addition, several gallery renovations, and multiple visits and creative conversations about the museum's facility and future. Winner of a National AIA Honor Award, Graves' projects for the Carlos Museum involved historic preservation and adaptive re-use of a landmark law school designed by Henry Hornbostel in 1916. Graves' first project in 1985 provided classrooms for the Departments of Art History and Anthropology and galleries for the newly formed museum.

The museum's extraordinary success led to a 40,000-square-foot expansion with additional galleries, gift shop, and a reception hall in 1993. Located on Emory's main quadrangle, the building recalls its historic context in massing, scale, articulation and materials, including marble detailing similar to that of the original building. Internally, through figurative forms and coloration, the galleries reinforce the cultural artifacts on display. Subsequent projects included two gallery renovations. His renovations continue to offer rich teaching resources for students, visitors and scholars in Atlanta and across the world studying the history of art and architecture.

"Veneralia: Experiencing Art in Architecture" will honor his vision for the character of the building, while enhancing user experience and access. Graves notes, "I am pleased to return to Emory University and the Carlos Museum. It's a joy to see firsthand how this institution continues to play an important role within the University and the larger Atlanta community in the same way that the building contributes to the character of Hornbostel's historic quadrangle."

Bonnie Speed, director of the Carlos Museum, said, "We are proud and honored to have such an iconic figure in the architectural profession be a part of this institution. Everyday our visitors enjoy Graves' talent and distinctive vision - the beauty and significance of the museum is continually magnified by the quality of his work. We look forward to celebrating his contributions to Emory."

Graves is founding principal of the firm Michael Graves & Associates and the Robert Schirmer Professor of Architecture, Emeritus at Princeton University. Graves has been honored with some of his profession's most prestigious awards, including the 2001 Gold Medal of the American Institute of Architects, and the 2010 AIA/ACSA Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education. Graves' designs are characterized by his attention to detail and dignity in structures such as the Portland (Oregon) Public Services Building, the Humana Corporation headquarters in Louisville, Ky., and the addition to the Detroit Institution of Arts.

Veneralia: Experiencing Art in Architecture
Co-chaired by Carlos Museum board member Sara Shlesinger and Dennis Dean, of Dennis Dean Catering, "Veneralia-Experiencing Art in Architecture" will be held within the museum's acclaimed Graves' building, where the entire top floor will be transformed into a multi-sensory experience of specialty cocktails, global cuisine and uniquely designed interiors inspired by the museum's collections. A select group of Atlanta's premier interior designers and architects will convert the galleries into ancient environments influenced by the styles of Asia, Egypt, Greece, Rome and Africa. The highly acclaimed designers are:

• Chip Cheatham of Chip+Company
• DSNWRK
• Robert Long (Designing the Reception Hall with Works on Paper-inspired décor)
• Erika Ward Interiors
• Beth Webb Interiors

About Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University
The Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets art and artifacts from antiquity to the present in order to provide unique opportunities for education and enrichment in the community, and to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research at Emory University. The Carlos Museum is one of the Southeast's premier museums with collections of art from Greece, Rome, Egypt, Near East, Nubia, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, as well as a collection of works on paper from the Renaissance to the present.