Multidisciplinary team of students help plan the future of the Wilcox Classical Museum

REIMAGINING KU’S OLDEST MUSEUM

Architecture and visual communication design student projects were showcased during the 2021 Fall Semester at the Wilcox Classical Museum.

A semester-long collaboration between architecture, visual communication design, and Department of Classics students is bringing the future of KU’s oldest museum into focus.

When museum director Phil Stinson began charting the next chapter in the Wilcox Classical Museum’s long history, he brought together an interdisciplinary team of students, faculty, and researchers to help reimagine how the museum, dedicated in 1888, could fulfill and promote its educational mission.

Associate Professor of Architecture Chad Kraus’ Dirt Works Studio students developed digital renderings, physical models, and portable display units to help visualize the possibilities of a revamped museum interior. Students in design chair Jeremy Shellhorn’s visual communication design studio developed comprehensive branding packages and exhibition signage to promote the museum and engage future museum visitors.

Utilizing KU’s advanced digital fabrication and research infrastructure, forward-thinking strategic communications theory, and applied design thinking, students developed a range of solutions to enhance educational experiences at the museum and preserve one of the state’s significant cultural treasures.