{"id":548,"date":"2018-08-21T18:11:50","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nau.edu\/artmuseum\/?page_id=548"},"modified":"2026-02-24T01:31:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T01:31:59","slug":"collections","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/collections\/","title":{"rendered":"Collections"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>The Collections at the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum<\/h1>\n<p>Within our permanent collections, the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum holds some specific collections of note. Featured here is the Aaron M. Macy Memorial Collection<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-tall-banner-image wp-image-1779\" src=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/DSCN9837-960x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"960\" height=\"384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/DSCN9837-960x384.jpg 960w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/DSCN9837-465x186.jpg 465w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/DSCN9837-1440x576.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/p>\n<!-- shortcode-accordion -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-accordion shortcode-accordion--closed\" style=\"position: relative;\" >\n        <a class=\"shortcode-accordion__trigger\" data-header=\"Aaron M. Macy Memorial Collection_0\" href=\"#\">\n      <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__header\">\n          <h4>Aaron M. Macy Memorial Collection <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <span class=\"shortcode-accordion__header__arrow\"><\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__body\">\n        <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\"><!-- shortcode-block-quote -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-block-quote shortcode-block-quote--center\">\n    <div class=\"shortcode-block-quote__inner-container\">\n        <span>It&rsquo;s mainly focused on artists from the Pacific Northwest,&rdquo; [Jason] Hess, Professor of Art and head of the Ceramics Program at Northern Arizona University] said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a very high-caliber collection that includes pivotal ceramic artists like Peter Voulkos, Jun Kaneko, Patti Warashina, and Don Reitz. He also collected a number of pieces from me and from faculty here at NAU. And whenever he came through Flagstaff, he would always buy something, or a couple of things, from students.<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Aaron Macy<\/b><\/span><span class=\"s1\"> attended NAU in the late 1990s and pursued a degree in ceramics. It was during those four undergraduate years that he fell in love with Flagstaff, creative expression, and his alma mater&mdash;he was especially drawn to the wood-fired kilns on campus. The Macy house was filled with Aaron&rsquo;s creations, and consequently, Doug also acquired a strong appreciation for ceramic art.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s2\"><b>Doug Macy, <\/b>Aaron&rsquo;s Father,<\/span><span class=\"s1\"> was not an artist or a Northern Arizona University alum. Yet he was passionate about two things: collecting art and NAU&mdash;he had his son to thank for both.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">After graduation, Aaron moved to Ohio to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics. At the start of his second year of grad school, he became ill and ultimately lost his battle with leukemia. He died at the age of 29.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Doug was eventually asked to chair NAU&rsquo;s College of Arts and Letters Advisory Council&mdash;he set the agenda for the committee and played a big role in raising money for the college. Though it was the biannual council meetings that kept him coming back to campus, he stayed involved in any way he could. When he was in town, he visited with ceramic students and participated in student critiques. He also put his landscape architecture career to use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">From the placement, pathway, and patio of the Japanese teahouse to the construction of the ceramics clay-mixing building, Doug was instrumental in designing and implementing multiple elements on the grounds of the ceramics complex, including a memorial wall covered in wood-fired ceramic tile in honor of Aaron. <\/span><\/p>\n<h5><span class=\"s1\">The above text was extracted from an article by Carly Banks, NAU Communications,<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>in the NAU News newsletter. Read the full article here: <a href=\"https:\/\/news.nau.edu\/the-macy-legacy\/%23.XvZBFHt7ly0\"><span class=\"s3\">https:\/\/news.nau.edu\/the-macy-legacy\/#.XvZBFHt7ly0<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">You can see the tea house and the Aaron M. Macy Memorial wall at the ceramic complex on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Ceramics+Complex,+1919+S+Lone+Tree+Rd,+Flagstaff,+AZ+86011\/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x872d8f76bd39eb3f:0x9d9f9028825b9825?sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjS_p--uabqAhUKvJ4KHdXrCksQ8gEwAHoECAsQAQ\">south side of the Mountain Campus<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s4\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\"><span class=\"s1\">Doug&rsquo;s intent for the collection was to have it on view in public locations across the campus and to make it available for edifying student and community experiences. To that end, the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum will be presenting a number of exhibits within the museum over the first few years after receipt of the gift. The longer-term goal for the collection is to place artworks throughout the Flagstaff Mountain Campus, locations accessible by all community members, so that this tremendous gift can benefit and be appreciated more widely by Lumberjacks and campus visitors alike.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<!-- shortcode-accordion -->\n<div class=\"shortcode-accordion shortcode-accordion--closed\" style=\"position: relative;\" >\n        <a class=\"shortcode-accordion__trigger\" data-header=\"_0\" href=\"#\">\n      <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__header\">\n          <h4> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <span class=\"shortcode-accordion__header__arrow\"><\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    <div class=\"shortcode-accordion__body\">\n        <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><div class=\"kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q\">\n<div dir=\"auto\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">This collection was curated by J. Douglas Macy on behalf of his son, Aaron. The wide array of artistic styles and media shown here demonstrates a broad selection of the artworks displayed in three of our galleries.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><hr role=\"separator\" class=\"hr--transparent hr--transparent-15px not-in-view\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The first image (left) is of the piece titled Urchin, which was sculpted by Aaron Macy himself. It contains metal nails that were driven through the clay before it was fired. This is one of the many sculptures on display in our exhibition titled Reunion. Other sculptures in this exhibition are all from people who knew Aaron during his time at NAU.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><hr role=\"separator\" class=\"hr--transparent hr--transparent-15px not-in-view\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">Coyote and Leonardo&rsquo;s Anatomy 10 (right) is a 2007 painting by Rick Bartow. Aaron Macy purchased this piece the same year it was created, and it is now a part of our Native Northwest: Contemporary exhibition. We have several other works by Bartow in the collections.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><hr role=\"separator\" class=\"hr--transparent hr--transparent-15px not-in-view\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\">The final image (bottom) is of Nailed It (Two Mice) by Erika Sanada (2014).<\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><hr role=\"separator\" class=\"hr--transparent hr--transparent-15px not-in-view\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2176\" src=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_01-464x348.jpg\" alt=\"A spherical sculpture with many spikes protruding out of it.\" width=\"295\" height=\"221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_01-464x348.jpg 464w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_01-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_01-232x174.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px\" \/>&nbsp; <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-2177\" src=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_02-464x348.jpg\" alt=\"A pencil drawing of lines for an exhibition. \" width=\"299\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_02-464x348.jpg 464w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_02-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_02-232x174.jpg 232w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-2175\" src=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-464x348.jpg\" alt=\"A close-up photo of an artwork depicting an elephant's eyes and forehead area. \" width=\"403\" height=\"302\" srcset=\"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-464x348.jpg 464w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-800x600.jpg 800w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-232x174.jpg 232w, https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/339\/20210729_Whitney_MacyPreview_03-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px\" \/><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Collections at the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum Within our permanent collections, the Clara M. Lovett Art Museum holds some specific collections of note. Featured here is the Aaron M. Macy Memorial Collection &nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":2242,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-548","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=548"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3029,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/548\/revisions\/3029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/artmuseum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}