PULLMAN — The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Washington State University is turning 50.

The gallery’s anniversary drew quite a crowd as people filled the space during a celebratory reception Thursday afternoon.

Many explored the museum’s current exhibition, “The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” while enjoying hors d’oeuvre from the ceremony.

Jordan Schnitzer, founder of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, said the semi-centennial anniversary is proof that art is a necessary component of life.

“I think this is a testament to the legacy of people 50 years ago who realized the importance of art in our lives,” he said. “Without art in our lives, I think we aren’t full. … Art education and art appreciation are the best way to see the world with different eyes”

Former museum directors made an appearance at the event.

Patricia Watkinson, director during the 1980s and 1990s, said the museum was created to incorporate art into the student experience and the Palouse. The gallery, she said, was one of the first opportunities to bring art from across the globe to the region.

The Museum of Art/WSU was originally established at the institution’s Fine Arts Center in 1974 by founding director Harvey West, Watkinson said. The space hosted world-class exhibitions and artists for nearly 45 years.

It wasn’t until the 2000s that museum staff began having conversations around finding a better home for the gallery.

Chris Bruce, director from 2003-16, said things came together when the former Public Safety Building came available. It was the perfect location, right in the middle of the WSU campus. He said the only problem was they needed a way to purchase the facility.

In 2013, Schnitzer donated $5 million for the new facility, which Bruce said was the most significant contribution to the arts at WSU at the time. The buy-in secured former WSU president Elson Floyd’s commitment to provide final dollars needed to establish a new museum.

In 2018, the Crimson Cube opened. The 10,000-square-foot facility far surpassed the previous location, which was around 4,000 square feet.

“Clearly, there are so many other priorities within a large research university and cultural activities can all too easily be shrugged off,” Bruce said. “The goal of the building was not simply to construct a new gallery space. Rather, the intention was to create a permanent, impossible statement at Washington State University that art is a meaningful part of the human endeavor.”

Schnitzer said the past six years have gone well and he’s enjoyed being able to share his personal collection. Being one of the top art collectors globally, Schnitzer has more than 22,000 pieces of work that he said act as a living archive.

“My intent was to build a teaching collection,” he said, “and preserve art for future generations to share with.”

He encourages everyone to come and visit the current exhibition. Schnitzer said the show focuses on topics significant to the land grant university like food, wine, farming and agriculture.

The exhibition can be viewed until March 8 during the museum’s regular hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Learn more about the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art/WSU by visiting museum.wsu.edu.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.