the UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS of the University of Delaware
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The University Museums house three major collections on the
Newark campus of the University of Delaware:
The University Gallery Collection
The University Gallery was established in 1978 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Delaware to promote excellence and understanding of the arts and humanities at the University and to stimulate the cultural development of its students and the citizens of Delaware. Like other college and university museums nationwide, the University Gallery represents the academic institution's respect for the historical traditions of diverse groups and the aesthetic innovations of the arts throughout the state, region, nation, and world. The Gallery serves as a symbol of cultural continuity which promotes scholarship, education, experimentation, and public service on behalf of the University community and the citizenry of the state.

The University Gallery is housed in Old College in downtown Newark, Delaware. The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1832 and served as the original classroom and dormitory facility for the institution, then known as Newark College. Old College is reported to be the first Greek Revival structure in the state. The University Gallery exhibition space is comprised of two separate galleries, 2500 and 800 square feet respectively. Collections storage, exhibition preparation area, and administrative offices are housed one floor below.
The Paul R Jones Collection
In February 2001, Paul R. Jones of Atlanta, a pioneer in the collecting of African-American art, donated a significant portion of his collection to the University. The collection is housed on the Newark campus of the University of Delaware in Mechanical Hall, which has been renovated into an art gallery with research and study facilities.

The Paul R. Jones Collection at the University Delaware was founded with a major gift from Paul R. Jones. Works by African American artists donated to the University by other donors, including  Robert and Joanne Mitchell, Donald Polk and the Polk Family, and  James Van der Zee have been assigned to the Collection. It is expected that the University's Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art will continue to grow through purchases and the continued support of Mr. Jones and other generous donors.
The Mineralogical Museum
The collection of the late Irénée du Pont forms the core of the University Mineralogical Museum. Mr. du Pont had been interested in minerals for a number of years when, in 1919, he purchased the remarkable mineral collection assembled by George Kunz, which Tiffany & Co. had on display in their Fifth Avenue showrooms in New York City. Throughout the 1920's he continued to add to this collection and by 1929 the collection was largely complete. Upon his death in 1963, his will specified that the collection was to go to a University for use as an educational aid. The collection was offered to the University of Delaware who gladly accepted it.

A portion of the collection was displayed in the University library until 1970 when the Crystal Trust, established to aid educational projects, made a grant to the University for the construction of a display space for the mineral collection. A space in Penny Hall, the geology building, was budgeted and the collection had a home. The display space was renovated in 1978 and again in 1998.
ALL IMAGES on the University Museums site are © by the University Museums, the artist or their representatives, unless otherwise noted. No image may be downloaded, copied, or otherwise reproduced without permission. Please contact us for further information or inquiries about use of the images.
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