The Madison Art Collection (MAC) at James Madison University (JMU) is an encyclopedic, permanent collection of objects from a vast array of cultures, time periods, and mediums. The MAC’s mission is to serve the academic, local, and global community by researching, collecting, conserving, interpreting and exhibiting tangible and intangible heritage. 

Located in the lower level of the Festival Conference and Student Center in room 1108, the James and Gladys Kemp Lisanby Museum presents dynamic, high-quality exhibitions featuring works of art from the Madison Art Collection. Serving both the university population as well as that of the surrounding community, the Lisanby is dedicated to celebrating diversity, scholarship, and the pursuit of knowledge. To reduce barriers to the arts, the Lisanby Museum is free and open to all visitors.

Our vision is for full integration of the Madison Art Collection into the liberal arts mission of James Madison University as well as serving as a model of excellence for academic museums. Our goal is to establish the Madison Art Collection as an accessible and educational cultural institution within the region as well as a source of innovative curricular connections across campus.

As a member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), we ascribe to the following definition:

“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

In our pursuit of the above-mentioned goals, we prioritize the following values:

• Learning: We will be an institution where visitors can actively engage with art of the world, encouraging cross-cultural learning experiences that celebrate and respect differences.

• Engagement: We will engage the next generation of museum professionals through internships, research opportunities, and hands-on experiences with the collection, allowing them to learn skills that will benefit various career paths.

• Collaboration: We will collaborate with students and faculty across JMU, embracing opportunities for interdisciplinary study.

• Inclusive Excellence: We seek to maintain the highest standards for our internships, collections, exhibitions, and programs, adhering to ethical guidelines and best practices. We embrace diversity of thought and experience, and help create opportunities for inclusion of different voices within our spaces.

• Creativity: We will nurture the creative spark that unites us all through the collection,display, and research of works within our collection.

• Accessibility: We will be a place where people of all backgrounds can access and learn from the holdings of our collection. We will achieve this by providing free public displays and programs as well as online access to objects.

• Sustainability: We will help others imagine and contemplate a sustainable future by modeling best practices such as reducing consumption, implementing recycling, and reusing materials whenever possible.