When storms rolled through the Quad Cities this summer, storage units, holding over 4,500 pieces of art from Augustana’s collection, began to see water leakage.
Kai Swanson, the new interim director of the museum, is focused on solving the problems caused by the flooding.
“We came to the realization that instead of the Augustana Teaching Museum of Art, we had the Augustana Storage facility of Art,” Swanson said.
It was shortly after the leaks were discovered that Swanson was chosen to step in and assist Preston Thayer, the current director of the museum, who is set to retire early this month.
This is not Swanson’s first time being brought in to head a spontaneous operation.
“I was asked to take on this project because, as an alumni of Augustana College, my Liberal Arts education gives me the confidence and well-rounded experience to take on this task,” Swanson said. “I was asked to assist in the transformation of WVIK in the past and now I am being asked to do the same for the Teaching Museum of Art. These are the benefits of a Liberal Arts education, of an Augustana education.”
Recently, the Art department faculty has begun to review the  college’s special collections.
Some of the pieces discovered have been in storage for up to four decades.
The goal is to begin to implement several pieces of the art around campus, not only as objects to view but art pieces to learn from.
Art can be found around the campus in various places, including at the library and The Brew by the Slough.
While students have said they appreciate the art around campus, junior Wendy Guadarrama said it may be time for a change.
“Some of the art has been the same since I’ve been here,” Guadarrama said. “If Augie has such an extensive collection of art, it would be cool to see some new stuff around our campus.”
Swanson said that his team is also working on opportunities for art students to write reflection pieces and art analyses that could be used as teaching tools when the art is showcased around campus.
Swanson said they are eager to see this project transform the community in the months ahead.