A detail of a watercolor painting of chrysanthemum flowers

As we begin to sense the arrival of spring with lengthening days and warming temperatures, we hope you will join us for a lush stroll through Flora et Fauna: Nature in Ancient Mediterranean Art and Culture, which opens on Thursday, March 6. In honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate the remarkable life of Jaune Quick-To-See-Smith by sharing one of the BCMA’s most recent acquisitions, Smith’s exceptional drawing, Jocko: Gray Whale (1993). Finally, this month marks a major turning point for the BCMA as we celebrate the extraordinary 44-year tenure of preparator José Ribas ’76, who retires at the end of the month. Enjoy below an interview with him about his many years at Bowdoin. Our hearty congratulations and profound thanks for his extraordinary service to the BCMA!

See you in the galleries!

Anne Collins Goodyear & Frank H. Goodyear III

Co-Directors, Bowdoin College Museum of Art

exhibitions

An ancient clay vessel shaped like the head of a ram

Opening Soon

Flora et Fauna: Nature in Ancient Mediterranean Art and Culture

This exhibition examines how ancient Mediterranean societies understood and depicted the natural world.

A detail of a photograph of a row of seated older Black women wearing white dresses

Opening Soon

Reimagining Our Américas: Empathy and Activism Beyond Borders

This exhibition highlights the work of contemporary artists who explore these hemispheric histories of indigeneity, gender, activism, and empathy throughout the Américas.

spotlight

A photo of an art handler moving a painting

Staff Highlight: José L. Ribas ’76, Preparator

The Museum of Art celebrates the remarkable 44-year career of José L. Ribas ’76.

news

A detail of a portrait painting showing a three-quarter view of young soldier with arms crossed in Civil War-era attire

Conserving a Civil War-Era Treasure: Samuel Fessenden by Walter M. Brackett

The recent conservation of the portrait of Lieutenant Samuel Fessenden enlivens our understanding of American painting in nineteenth-century New England.

A detail of a semiabstract artwork depicting whale and human forms

Object of the Month

The recent acquisition of a drawing by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith marks the first of the artist’s work to be represented in the BCMA’s Permanent Collection.

calendar

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Music at the Museum with George Lopez and Gulimina Mahamuti

Noon and 5 p.m. | Bowdoin College Museum of Art

"Wabanaki Stories from the Ocean" with John Bear Mitchell

7 p.m. | Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Thursday, March 27, 2025

Book Launch | 'The Victorian Painting of Modern Life' with Pamela Fletcher

4:30 p.m. (Lecture) | Beam Classroom, Visual Arts Center

5:30 p.m. (Reception) | Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Museum Hours

Tuesday-Saturday: 10:00 a.m.-5:00 pm | Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m. | Sunday: 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. | Closed on Mondays and national holidays.

The Bowdoin College Museum of Art is open to the public free of charge. The Museum is wheelchair accessible through the Pavilion entrance.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art | 9400 College Station | Brunswick, ME 04011 | 207.725.3275

artmuseum@bowdoin.edu bowdoin.edu/art-museum

Banner: Ellen Robbins, Chrysanthemums (detail), 1883, watercolor, crayon, brush & black ink with traces of graphite on off-white wove paper mounted on cardboard. Bowdoin College Museum, Brunswick, Maine. Gift of the Misses Harriet Sarah and Mary Sophia Walker, 1894.9