Making Meaning: Place and Space at ASU Art Museum
At the ASU Art Museum, we’re reimagining every corner of the museum — from the scent in the air to the spaces where people gather, transforming visitor experiences beyond the galleries and reflecting the spirit of the land on which we are sited, the historic homelands of the O’Odham, Piipaash and their ancestors. It’s a boundary-breaking fusion that activates all five senses, rooted in human connection. Take a moment to smell, see, touch and feel your way around the museum.
The museum invited Eddy Doumas, Founder of Galerie Town, to transform the museum’s covered entry courtyard. Doumas selected Marco Betancourt, Co-Founder of Mexa Design, to reimagine the space with their line of outdoor furniture inspired by the sketches, blueprints and original photographs of Clara Porset (Cuba, active Mexico, 1895–1981) and produced with the support of the Clara Porset Archive at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico). The woven materials of the furniture pay homage to the place where we are situated, echoing centuries of textile traditions.
Take a moment before stepping into the museum, have a seat and let yourself relax. How does the woven material allow you to be held while sitting?
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The museum partnered with Kelly Kussman, Founder/CEO of local fragrance house Cayla Gray, to create “Ceremony,” a signature scent that captures the raw, breathtaking essence of the Sonoran Desert, with notes of smoked clove, sage, palo santo and yucca — a sensory experience that turns the museum into an immersive landscape. The project was organized by ASU Art Museum Curator Brittany Corrales and presented in collaboration with a Community of Practice composed of Chef Denella Belin, Owner of Nella’s Innovative Kreations; and Mag Kabotie Adakai, Founder of Flagstaff Mountain-Town Market and Kelly Swette a consultant.
Take a moment of pause. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. What do you smell? Can you identify any notes within the scent?
Step inside our museum store to purchase the scent.
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