Museum’s Buie Bacchanalia Raises Project Awareness

The Buie Bacchanalia event was filled with fun, food and dancing and was a huge success for the University Museum.

Last month, the Friends of the University of Mississippi Museum hosted the Buie Bacchanalia event to raise awareness of the pre-installation of the museum’s Mary Buie wing, and it was a huge success.

Attendees experienced a night filled with Greek food, wine and dancing.

“The Buie Bacchanalia event to celebrate the ongoing project of reinstalling the museum’s Greek and Roman antiquities in our signature 1939 building was a massive success,” said Robert Saarnio, the museum’s director. “Its capacity attendance speaks volumes about the growing awareness of these collections being the finest and largest of their type in the entire South. The event built community and regional enthusiasm for one of the most significant exhibition projects in the museum’s 75-year history.”

The museum is home to the David M. Robinson Memorial Collection of Greek and Roman antiquities, one of the finest of its kind in the nation. The collection includes more than 2,000 items. Unfortunately, only 134 of those are on display. The reinstallation of the original Mary Buie wing will remedy that, allowing for more space to show these unique items.

The night brought the community together, and the museum staff looks forward to ongoing support for the project, said Rebecca Phillips, the museum’s communications coordinator.

The next big event planned by the Friends of the Museum is the third annual Harvest Supper this fall on the grounds of Rowan Oak. The event has become an Oxford tradition. Patrons will enjoy a beautiful night at William Faulkner’s home with local dishes and entertainment, as well as an opportunity to purchase paintings at auction. All money raised will support museum projects.

To donate to either of these projects or to get more information about supporting the museum, visit the website or contact the UM Museum at 662-915-3181.