1GALLERY 1
Setting Out / Coming Home
Visitors begin and end their journey in Gallery 1, an entrance/exit space inspired by the circular structure of Finnegans Wake that introduces Joyce’s life, legacy and the story of the UB James Joyce Collection.
UB James Joyce Museum
A new home for Buffalo’s extraordinary James Joyce Collection, coming soon.
EXPLORE THE VISION GIVE NOWMuseum at a Glance
11,000
Square feet on the
first floor of historic
Abbott Hall on South Campus
first floor of historic
Abbott Hall on South Campus
250+
Artifacts from the UB James
Joyce Collection
Joyce Collection
$11+
Million dollar budget
6
Gallery experiences
Intended for people who may be new to Joyce as well as lifelong readers, the Joyce Museum will convey through manuscripts and other primary materials the compelling stories of Joyce’s literary life and work, his social and historical contexts, the enduring legacy of his influence, and the history of the Joyce Collection. It aims to welcome and engage with a diverse audience composed of the local and regional communities of Western New York; the UB community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni; as well as Joyce enthusiasts and scholars, writers and artists, and cultural travelers. Our goal is nothing less than to invite the entire world to experience James Joyce at UB.
James Maynard, PhD Curator, The Poetry Collection
Gallery Floor Plan
Located on the first floor of Abbott Hall and organized around the theme of the Odyssey in Progress, the Joyce Museum features six different gallery spaces in three adjacent areas. Visitors will follow a path through Joyce’s life and work that highlights the process through which his publications developed and the people who made them possible.
Watch a Museum Walkthrough
The UB James Joyce Museum explores Joyce’s life, work and literary legacy.
Please note that all images and videos are preliminary renderings and may not reflect the final designs.
Six Galleries. Find Your Odyssey.
1
2GALLERY 2
Early Career
Traces Joyce’s upbringing in Dublin through personal effects, family portraits and photographs, manuscripts and editions of early works including Dubliners, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Exiles.
3GALLERY 3
Mid Career
Focused on the creation and publication of Ulysses, Gallery 3 highlights Joyce’s manuscripts, notebooks and proofs while exploring Sylvia Beach’s role in publishing the novel along with the journey of the Joyce Collection to Buffalo.
4GALLERY 4
Late Career
Showcases Joyce’s later years through rotating selections from the surviving Finnegans Wake notebooks, other manuscripts and publications, and the creative work of his daughter, Lucia Joyce.
5GALLERY 5
Your Odyssey
An interactive experience invites visitors to explore Joyce’s writing and the UB James Joyce Collection through digital displays, hands-on learning stations and an immersive “Ulysses Unbound” audio-visual installation.
6GALLERY 6
Flex Space
A flexible, multipurpose room that can be configured in different arrangements for presentations, instruction, and other community events and gatherings. It also features additional casework for temporary exhibits.
From Bold Idea to Global Destination
2021
Campaign
Launch
2023
A Landmark
Commitment
2024–26
The Experience
Takes Shape
2027
Construction
Anticipated
2028
The World
Arrives
Be Part of the Journey
The UB James Joyce Museum is taking shape. Learn more about the project, ask a question or discover
how your support can help bring this landmark museum to life.
Museum & Collection
Questions about the museum, the James Joyce Collection or the vision for this new cultural destination?
James Maynard, PhD
Curator, The Poetry Collection
poetry@buffalo.edu
716-645-1373
Support the Museum
Learn about giving, naming opportunities, endowments, estate gifts and other ways to support the UB James Joyce Museum.
Shana DiCamillo
Director of Advancement, University Libraries
shanadic@buffalo.edu
716-881-7485