“Its greatest asset,” is that the de Saisset Museum is embedded in an academic context. So says Director Ciara Ennis, who arrived at Santa Clara University in fall 2023.
In celebrating the de Saisset’s 70th anniversary this year, Ennis reflects on what makes it special.
The “perfectly scaled museum” is just large enough to present diverse collections, contemporary research-based exhibitions, and a permanent exhibit on the local region’s Ohlone heritage and Mission history without overwhelming visitors.
“The scale of the museum allows these disparate, yet interconnected strands, to be in conversation with each other, which would be harder to do in a larger institution,” Ennis says.
Being on the campus of an institute of higher learning enables interdisciplinary conversations to thrive and “sets it apart from other museums… as it can utilize the knowledge and expertise of the talented faculty, students, and staff.”