The UVA Art Museum—formerly known as the Bayly Art Museum—is now the Fralin Museum of Art. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Why did they stop calling it the Bayly in the first place?
As I recall, it was never really known as the Bayly in the first place. That was just the name of the building that housed the museum. It wasn’t so much as a name change in 2001 as it was an assertion of its proper name, or so I’ve been told. (I could swear that, when I’d visited the Bayly as a kid, that they called it the Bayly.) Presumably the other advantage of moving to a generic name is that would clear the decks to then sell naming rights, as they’ve done these eleven years later.
When I moved here in 1984, people always referred to it as “the Bayly”. I assumed that when they started referring to it as the UVa Art Museum, it was because the Bayly family stopped cutting checks.
So it will be the Fralin Art Museum in the Bayly Building, sorta like how we have David A. Harrison III Field at Scott Stadium. They slice and dice every piece of the entity and sell naming rights to the bits and pieces.
To the best of my recollection, when I was employed there (summer of ’00 — one of my first post-High School jobs), pretty much everyone involved called it “the Bayly.” I was never totally clear on why they rescinded that name later, but presumed it had something to do with behind-the-scenes finances and the University’s ongoing efforts to sell the naming rights to pretty much everything.
But I still mentally (and verbally) refer to it as “the Bayly Art Museum,” and will most likely continue to do so, until I sound hopelessly old-fashioned, like the folks who refer to “Lane High School” as a landmark when giving directions.
And I drove by yesterday (Sunday) – the new sign out front says “Fralin Museum of Art in the Thomas Bayly Building”. Also, the street that goes behind the museum is Bayly Way.
Yes, much like the football field at the football stadium on the Athletic Grounds nonsense, as Claire aptly notes.
UVa doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo that the museum is called ‘The Bayly.’ I will continue to call it The Bayly, as will most people whom I know.
Similarly, a few people in City Hall seem to be misinformed about the name of the Downtown Pavilion.
A name of a public place is what people actually call it.