Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life to open Jan. 22

The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life at the University of California, Berkeley's Bancroft Library, the latest addition to the city's burgeoning downtown arts and culture district, is opening to the public on Sunday, Jan. The grand opening, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. and is free, will take place at the collection's new, 25,000-square-foot facility at 2121 Allston Way, near campus and Downtown Berkeley BART. The celebration will feature music, food and exhibitions of contemporary artists' projects and highlights from The Magnes's permanent collection of precious art, rare books and objects that represent the culture of Jews in the global diaspora and the American West. The new Magnes offers unprecedented on-site access to most of the nearly 15,000-item collection in its new conference and research rooms, auditorium and galleries. In addition, The Magnes's Western Jewish Americana archives, the world's largest collection of letters, diaries, photographs and documents relating to the Jewish settlement of the West, are now available at UC Berkeley at The Bancroft Library's Heller Reading Room. The Allston Way building is a former printing plant that was updated for The Magnes by Peter Pfau (Pfau Long Architecture, San Francisco) and Oblio Jenkins (Pacassa Studios, Oakland) with a blend of vintage and modern design. The interior glass walls and inventive open storage display provide an intimate and powerful connection to objects from around the world.