Named for 1963 Kenyon alumnus Graham Gund, a noted architect, philanthropist, and collector, the Graham Gund Gallery is a dynamic, 31,000 square-foot space dedicated to expanding ways of seeing and learning. Its spaces enhance the College’s liberal arts curriculum through provocative exhibitions and the collaborative educational opportunities and cultural conversations they enable. The Gund Gallery houses a 6,100-square-foot flexible main exhibition space—the Buchwald-Wright Gallery—lit by north-facing skylights with controllable louvers; the 136-seat Community Foundation Theater; the Edric seminar classroom and the Kresge traditional classroom; and the Meier-Draudt Curatorial Classroom for the close study of artwork. It also provides museum-dedicated preparation and storage spaces as well as offices and a visual resource center for Kenyon’s Department of Art History. Opened in 2011, the Gund Gallery is part of a larger campus initiative to expand access to art and visual culture for the College’s student body, faculty, and staff along with the surrounding community.

Located on Middle Path, an axis that runs through and links the village center with the campus, the Graham Gund Gallery has emerged as a hub of interdisciplinary exploration and cultural engagement. The exterior of the Gund Gallery is clad in locally quarried sandstone and zinc paneling, materials seen on neighboring old and new buildings on Kenyon’s notably beautiful campus. Framed by a canopy of old-growth trees, a glass entry—the Fischman Lobby—draws community members and guests in to experience major public works of art including Aristide Maillol’s La Montagne and Kiki Smith’s Her in addition to frequent temporary installations. The LEED Silver-certified building utilizes a geothermal system for heating, cooling, and sophisticated climate controls appropriate for the museum-quality facilities. The Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) with the American Institute of Architects Committee on Architecture for Education (AIA-CAE) honored the Gund Gallery with a 2013 Excellence in Architecture Merit Award.