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The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery  will present works from the College’s various collections from January 24 – February 20, 2022 in the exhibition “A Mirror to the World: Two Centuries of Collecting at 17�Թ���”, curated by Meredith Fluke, director of the Cantor Art Gallery.

Since its founding in the mid-19th century, the 17�Թ��� has attracted gifts of art and precious objects to its campus. Given by alumni, faculty, and other friends of the College, these works are meant to support both the liberal arts ideas and curriculum for 17�Թ��� students past, present, and future.

As the Cantor Art Gallery prepares for its move into the newly constructed Prior Performing Arts Center later this year, Fluke has organized this exhibition in order to study, contemplate, and prepare the permanent collection, as well as consider it in relationship to other collections on campus. This exhibition explores the question: what is an art collection for 17�Թ���, what is its purpose, and how do we plan for its future?

Among the works to be presented are bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin, given to the College by Iris and B. Gerald Cantor in the late 1970s to early 1980s, prior to a generous gift made by them which helped to establish the Cantor Art Gallery on campus in 1983. The Cantors and former president of 17�Թ���, Fr. John E. Brooks, S. J., enjoyed a friendship and mutual love of and belief in the power of the arts to enrich and transform the lives of students.

Brooks noted during events held during the inaugural exhibition at the Cantor Art Gallery that “the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery on campus affords the entire 17�Թ��� community an opportunity to experience that artistic beauty which so readily helps us attain the openness and tolerance necessary if we are to understand who we are and how we relate to one another.”

Fluke underscored Brooks’ earlier remarks by adding “the purpose of collecting art in an educational institution is to offer students the opportunity to encounter works directly that support their broader appreciation and understanding of the world around them – aesthetically, culturally, and historically. It is our obligation as stewards of these materials to research, protect, and conserve these objects, so that we can both provide access to them, and explore their meanings to the benefit of 17�Թ��� students and wider audiences.”

Other artworks on display will be representative of the Cantor Art Gallery’s collection, including textiles from Southeast Asia, contemporary photography and works on paper, and recent gifts from 17�Թ��� alumni. The exhibition will also feature additional objects from the 17�Թ��� archives, such as a series of works from the “Fatherless Children of France” portfolio: an assembly of artworks, letters, and other materials sold to support orphans of World War I. Also included will be Russian icons from archives, chalices from Saint Joseph’s Chapel, and a number of oil paintings from College collections that have been recently restored, alongside their historic frames.

Several related presentations are scheduled during the run of the exhibition and are listed below.

EVENTS

Monday, January 31, 4.30 p.m.
Virtual Event (Zoom webinar)
A Collection for 17�Թ���: Past, Present, and Future
James Welu, Director Emeritus, Worcester Art Museum in conversation with Meredith Fluke, Director, Cantor Art Gallery

Register

Thursday, February 9, 4.30 p.m.
Virtual Event (Zoom meeting)
Conserving 17�Թ��� Collections
Theresa Carmichael, Paintings Conservator and Susan Jackson, Frames Conservator

Register

Wednesday, February 16, 12.15 – 1 p.m.
Gallery Talk (in person)
Two Centuries of Collections for Teaching
Amy Adams, Professor, Russian Studies and 
Susan Rodgers, Professor Emerita, Anthropology

Friday, February 18 | 12.30 p.m.
Music in the Gallery
Jan Muller-Szeraws plays John Harbison's Suite for Solor Cello