Davis Museum at Wellesley College

05/24/2026

We love welcoming Wellesley alums back to the Davis! Happy Reunion Weekend! 💙

05/20/2026

Highlighting recent Wellesley College grad, Karla Narvaez ‘26, who worked as an Education Assistant and served on DMSAC.⁣ ✨
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𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴/𝘎𝘰𝘢𝘭𝘴: At the Davis, I helped train student guides, designed K-12 educational materials, and worked on accessibility projects, including the Multisensory Project. As a member of DMSAC, I aided in advising the Davis on various projects, collaborated with students and museum staff for events such as our annual after-hours event, 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬, and strengthened the link between the Davis and the Wellesley College student body. ⁣
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𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴: Through my work with the Multisensory Project, I learned how to 3D print! ⁣
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𝘍𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: My favorite object on display is 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘺 by Chakaia Booker. The sculpture is made of rubber tires, and I love how the medium comments on labor, sustainability, and artistic traditions such as textile work. When standing in front of the piece, the curves and turns of the bent rubber are mesmerizing. Born and raised in New York City, the title reminds me of my own identity as an urban butterfly. ⁣
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Join us in congratulating Karla! ⁣🎓
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Current and incoming students interested in learning more about the Davis and ways to get involved can visit our bio 🔗 or send us a DM!⁣
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🖼️ Chakaia Booker, 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘺, 2001, Rubber tires, Museum purchase with funds provided by Wellesley College Friends of Art 2004.79⁣
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05/18/2026

Thank you to the Acton Woman's Club for a wonderful afternoon exploring the works of Ilse Bing and the Davis collection!

The Davis Museum is open through May 24th. For information about our upcoming special exhibitions and group tours, visit us at www.thedavis.org

The Davis Art Museum at Wellesley College welcomed a group from the Acton Woman’s Club on April 29. Dr. Semente, the museum’s curator of education and public programs, gave an intimate 90-minute talk that included a discussion about the current exhibit of photographs by German photographer Ilse ...

05/13/2026

This year, our student office assistant, Alyssa Zhang ‘29, with our Office Manager Shannon Nelson, created mini-frame magnets, featuring the Davis Rafael Moneo building and campus paintings in the collection, L𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 by Frank Henry Shapleigh (2001.68) and 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨) by Agnes A. Abbot (1992.15). These small gifts were given to graduating Davis employees as mementos of our shared experiences and growth during their time at the Davis and Wellesley. ❤️ Congratulations Class of 2026!⁣ 💜🎓
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05/10/2026

Treat the special mom figure in your life to a day of art and nature at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College. 💐 Open until 5 PM today. Our current special exhibitions and permanent collection galleries are open through May 24.

The Davis is free and open to the public. Visit our bio 🔗 for more.

05/06/2026

✨ The Davis staff congratulates Nana Ama Asare-Kwaah, class of 2028, who has been awarded the 2026 Kathryn Wasserman Davis 28 Art Prize for Writing! ✨ Nana Ama Asare-Kwaah authored the essay, 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯: 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝟷𝟿𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘳𝘵, for Professor Liza Oliver’s course, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺: 𝘙𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘈𝘳𝘵. In this essay, Asare-Kwaah offers a comprehensive analysis of the artworks through the lenses of Orientalism, the history of slavery, and French colonial history. Her nuanced interpretations enable readers to visualize the artworks through her detailed descriptions.⁣
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Many thanks to Fiona Maurissette (Writing Program), Alexander Brey (Art Department), Alicia Bruce (Davis Museum), and Yuhua Ding (Davis Museum) for their service on the jury. ⁣
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IMAGE: Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier (Cambrai, France 1827–1905 Algiers, Algeria), 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴, 1861, Silvered bronze, Museum purchase 1980.98 ⁣

05/01/2026

Dr. Yuhua Ding, Kemper Assistant Curator of Collections and Academic Affairs, led a conversation with Jing Gao, world-renowned conservator of Asian paintings, Deborah La Camera, Partner and Senior Conservator at Studio TKM Associates, and Berit Raines ‘27. On April 8, 2026, they shared their firsthand insights from the year-long conservation project that preserved a 16th-century Chinese painting for generations to come.
▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cFnKDH3onA

1 like. "Immortalizing Magu: Conservation of a 16th-Century Painting"

04/23/2026

Head to the Davis YouTube channel to watch our recent symposium, “Imagining Museums: The Next 150 Years of Stewarding Art at Wellesley.” Held on March 26 and March 27, 2026, this hybrid, bilingual symposium hosted by the Davis Museum at Wellesley College in English and French, students, scholars, and alumni around the world extended Wellesley’s legacy of learning directly from works of art. Speakers proposed new strategies for the ethical stewardship of artworks collected by the College since 1875.
▶️ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL681B319F5B77AA92&si=DzZrP8OB41rnOSvc

04/21/2026

A time was had at “Masks and Mystery: Davis After Dark” 🎉✨ Planned by DMSAC.

📸 Photos by Iris Zhan and Dr. Semente