Modern & Contemporary Art Exhibition

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College reopens its spacious fifth-floor galleries on February 6, 2026, showcasing modern and contemporary works from its permanent collection after being closed for several years. The 2,606-square-foot space features well-known artists including Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Horace Pippin, and Judith Rothschild, alongside never-before-seen works like Irving Norman's Labyrinth (1955) and a glazed ceramic vessel by former Dadaist Beatrice Wood. Curated by James Oles, Adjunct Curator of Latin American Art and Associate Teaching Professor in Art, the installation draws from over 900 works created over the last century, emphasizing both collection favorites and pieces emerging from storage for the first time.

Rather than chronological organization, the Harold and Estelle Newman Tanner Gallery and Lawrence and Ina Lee Brown Ramer Gallery reflect Wellesley's interdisciplinary teaching approach through six thematic sections: Modern Fragments, The Label, An Eye for Materials, Plane and Grid, Dream and Gesture, and Contemporary Art. Four student employees contributed to the project by writing and signing object labels, including three different interpretations of de Kooning's 1966 painting, learning about the curatorial process firsthand. The Contemporary Art section highlights works acquired within the past 15 years, representing the museum's expanding commitment to voices from across the globe and diasporic communities in the United States. The gallery restoration was made possible through multiple endowment funds and support from Wellesley College's Friends of Art. Free and open to the public Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.