July e-bulletin

Bowdoin College Museum of Art bulletin 7.2026

A painting shows a scene from a county fair

There is lots to see and do this summer at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art (BCMA)!

We recently opened USA @ 250 and look forward to continued opportunities to reflect upon, celebrate, and question a history that has unfolded across two hundred and fifty years. In that spirit, Anne Stratchen Cross discusses in this Object of the Month the context of Gordon Parks’ photograph Ella Watson, American Gothic, Washington, D.C., which is featured in the exhibition. Maine Historical Society’s public tour of the Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence, which will be on view at the BCMA this October, will also offer opportunity for continued discussion around the nation’s 250th anniversary. More details on this exciting program are below.

We are also excited for our continued collaboration with the Bowdoin International Music Festival, whose world-class musicians will be performing a series of concerts at the BCMA throughout July. Finally, you can learn more in this e-Bulletin about the newest cohort of talented student interns and the projects they are working on this summer.

exhibitions

A colorful illustration of the number 50

Continuing

Celebrating Independence! Fifty Years of Spindleworks, 1976–2026

Established fifty years ago, Spindleworks Art Center, based in Brunswick, Maine, is a nationally recognized progressive art studio that has become a vibrant part of the local community. This exhibition celebrates the vision of the artists who work in a broad range of creative practices.

A nineteenth century photograph of a presidential inauguration on the steps of a neoclassical building

Now Open

USA @ 250

On the occasion of the United States’ 250th anniversary, the Museum of Art presents a major exhibition that explores the nation’s history through a series of exceptional artworks created since 1776. All the selected works are from the Museum’s own collection.

spotlight

An outline of the state of Maine overlaid with the Declaration of Independence

Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence Coming to Bowdoin College Museum of Art

This October, the BCMA will host the final stop of the Maine Historical Society's statewide tour of a Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence—one of only 26 surviving reproductions. The visit coincides with USA @ 250, a major exhibition at the BCMA exploring American history through art on the occasion of the nation's 250th anniversary. more

news

Five student interns pose smiling in a gallery

Welcoming Summer Interns to the Museum of Art!

The BCMA welcomes five student interns for summer 2026, contributing across curatorial, education, and communications work. Emily Jacobs '23, Curatorial Assistant and Manager of Student Programs, introduces the cohort.

A black and white photo of a Black woman holding a mop and broom in front of an American flag

Object of the Month: Ella Watson, American Gothic, Washington D.C.

In 1942, Gordon Parks photographed Ella Watson—a janitor in Washington, D.C.'s government offices at a time when the city was segregated—standing before an American flag with a broom and mop. The image was a pointed critique of racial inequality in the nation's capital and is now considered an iconic photograph in American art. more

calendar

Thursday, July 2, 2026

Music at the Museum with the Bowdoin International Music Festival

11:00 a.m.–noon | Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Friday, July 10, 2026

2nd Friday Art Walk at the Museum of Art: Meet Chunk the Whale!

4:00–7:00 p.m. | Outside the Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Thursday, July 16, 2026

Spindleworks Poetry and Performances

4:30–6:00 p.m. | Kresge Auditorium, Visual Arts Center

Saturday, July 18, 2026

Music Family Saturday at the Museum of Art