Special Exhibitions

The Davis Museum presented eleven special exhibitions in 2018, highlighting a diverse range of artwork, including our own holdings along with loans from public and private institutions, and individual collectors.

Davis exhibitions demonstrate inventive museological experimentation, connect with diverse communities, foster faculty collaboration, break new scholarly ground, and prepare students for involvement with the arts beyond the academy and throughout life. This year's exhibition highlights included Clarence H. White and His World: The Art and Craft of Photography 1895-1925, Fragment: A Museum’s Mid-century Legacy, Christiane Baumgartner: Another Country, and Jacob Lawrence: The Legend of John Brown. The dynamic exhibitions ensure that there is always something new on view in the galleries.

Recent Acquisitions

The ever expanding permanent collections at the Davis currently include nearly 13,000 objects that span the globe from antiquity to the present day. The Davis actively collects works of art through gifts and purchases, accessioning over 375 works of art in 2018 alone. Promoting direct experience with authentic art objects for scholars and students, the Davis acquires works of art that demonstrate excellence and diversity, art historical and aesthetic significance, and relevance to curricular emphases and research interests.

Davis Objects on the Move

To support its educational and public program mission, the Davis Museum loans works from its collections to other private and public institutions. All loans are made for the purpose of exhibition, but may include approved research, study, or other educational purposes. In 2018, the Davis Museum loaned 21 objects. Some were exhibited locally, such as at Lesley University's Lunder Art Center in Cambridge, while others traveled further afield, including to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Quebec and the Royal Academy of Arts in London.