The Bates College Museum of Art (also known locally simply as the Museum of Art or MoA) is an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. Although primarily con ...

located on the campus of, and maintained by,

Bates College Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ; officially the City of Lewiston, Maine) is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city lies halfway between Augusta, the state's capital, and Portland, the state's most populous ci ...

. It holds various mediums of arts that showcase Maine and the greater American area. The museum's collection offers an overview of modern and contemporary art. The Museum publishes numerous art collections, and art publications every year. The primary focuses of the main collections are works on paper, including modern and contemporary art including drawings, prints and photographs. It is the largest museum of art in the city of Lewiston, Maine, followed by Museum L/A. In the 1930s, the college secured a private holding from the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inc ...

Starry Night ''The Starry Night'' ( nl, De sterrennacht) is an oil-on-canvas painting by the Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh. Painted in June 1889, it depicts the view from the east-facing window of his asylum room at Saint-Rémy-de-Provenc ...

, for students participating in the 'Bates Plan'. It holds 8,000 pieces and objects of contemporary domestic and international art. The museum holds over 100 original artworks, photographs, and sketches from

Marsden Hartley Marsden Hartley (January 4, 1877 – September 2, 1943) was an American Modernist painter, poet, and essayist. Hartley developed his painting abilities by observing Cubist artists in Paris and Berlin. Early life and education Hartley was born ...

. The MoA offers numerous lectures, artist symposiums, and workshops. The entire space is split into three components: the larger Upper Gallery, the smaller Lower Gallery, and the Synergy Gallery which is primarily used for student exhibits and research. Almost 20,000 visitors are attracted to the MoA annually. The museum opened on October 7, 1955, as the Treat Gallery by Norma Berger, the niece of

. With the ushering of the Olin Arts Center on to the campus, the gallery was formed into the Museum of Art at Bates College in 1986. The scope was also increased to facilitate educational programming in sync to the scholarly pursuits of the college and with the Lewiston-Auburn community. In 2005, the museum reorganized into four galleries: the Bates Gallery, Collection Gallery, the Underground Synergy Seminar space, and the 150 Art Reader Stairwell.

History

The Bates College Art Museum was founded in 1955 as the Treat Gallery in the newly constructed Pettigrew Building at Bates College. Norma Berger, the niece of

, a notable Maine artist, donated a large collection at the founding of the museum. In 1986, the gallery moved to the new Olin Art Center gallery. After the renovation and installation, the new and expanded museum space enabled the Museum to organize major scholarly exhibitions of contemporary and historic artists. Many of these exhibitions were from "significant solo shows to thematic group shows that investigate ideas important to disciplines across the liberal arts curriculum, and permanent collection exhibitions, supported by scholarly publications." Over the past decade, the collection has grown to collect more art pieces of all mediums and support educational curriculum across disciplines. In 2005, the museum reorganized into four galleries: the Bates Gallery, Collection Gallery, the Underground Synergy Seminar space, and the 150 Art Reader Stairwell. As of 2022 the director of the museum is Dan Mills.

Collections and notable exhibitions

As of 2022, it holds over 8,000 objects, including select and growing holdings of contemporary

Chinese art Chinese art is visual art that originated in or is practiced in China, Greater China or by Chinese artists. Art created by Chinese residing outside of China can also be considered a part of Chinese art when it is based in or draws on Chinese ...

pre-Columbian art Pre-Columbian art refers to the visual arts of indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, North, Central, and South Americas from at least 13,000 BCE to the European conquests starting in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Pre-Columbian era c ...

, Japanese woodblock prints, and

African art African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the ...

. In addition to the original Marsden Hartley Memorial Collection, the museum contains works by many other notable artists. The museum has focused on collecting works of Maine artists. In the 1930s, the college secured a private holding from the

. In 2016, the Museum has the following exhibitions: "The View Out His Window (and in his mind’s eye)" by Jeffery Becton, "The Art of Occupy: The Occuprint Portfolio", and "Maine Collected."

Teaching and education

The Bates College Museum of Art also offers curricular involvement with both the college and surrounding communities. The college uses the museum through their exhibitions and collections to "teach writing skills and visual literacy, the museum serves as a tool for educators and students."

Gallery

File:Mountain Lake, Marsden Hartley.jpg, Mountain Lake by

File:Red Tree Marsden Hartley.jpg, Red Tree by

File:Marsden Hartley-Sextant-1917.jpg, Sextant by

File:The Ice Hole Marsden Hartley.jpeg, The Ice Hole by

File:Blueberry Highway, Dogtown by Marsden Hartley, 1931, High Museum of Art.jpg, Blueberry Highway, Dogtown by

File:Marsden Hartley - Church at Head Tide ^2 - 64.43.1 - Minneapolis Institute of Arts.jpg, Church at Head Tide by

File:Portrait of a German Officer, Marsden Hartley.jpg, Portrait of a German Officer by

File:Marsden Hartley - Handsome Drinks - Google Art Project.jpg, Handsome Drinks by

File:'Arroyo Hondo' by Marsden Hartley, 1918, pastel on paper.jpg, Arroyo Hondo by

File:Mount David by Coombs-Delbert-Dana 1901.jpg,

Mount David Mount David (also known as Mount Davis, Davis Mountain, and David's Mountain) is a rocky summit in Lewiston, Maine, on the campus of Bates College in back of Rand Hall. It is one of the highest points in Lewiston at 381 feet and offers views of the ...

1860 (on the edge of the Bates campus), painted in 1901 by Delbert Dana Coombs

References

External links

* {{Coord, 44.1082, -70.2019 , format=dms , region:US-ME_type:landmark , display=title Bates College Educational buildings in Lewiston, Maine 1955 establishments in Maine University museums in Maine Museums in Androscoggin County, Maine Art museums and galleries in Maine Art museums established in 1955 Tourist attractions in Lewiston, Maine