Opening This Month: The Philosophy Chamber: Art and Science in Harvard’s Teaching Cabinet, 1766–1820

Opening Friday, May 19

Between 1766 and 1820, Harvard College assembled an extraordinary collection of art; mineral, plant, and animal specimens; scientific instruments; Native American artifacts; and relics from the ancient world. The collection served as the center of artistic and intellectual life in the greater New England region for more than 50 years. The Philosophy Chamber reunites many of these original objects, showcasing a range of works that have been hidden away for nearly two centuries. More

New to Our University Galleries

Three new exhibitions, A New Light on Bernard Berenson: Persian Paintings from Villa I Tatti, Adorning the Inner Court: Jun Ware for the Chinese Palace, and Reverie: Christopher Wilmarth, Before and After Mallarmé open Saturday, May 20 in our University Galleries. More

Suns Explorer

May 6–June 30
Lightbox Gallery

How do we visualize a collection? Our Department of Digital Infrastructure and Emerging Technology designs programs to track, record, and visualize data points associated with the objects in our collections. Visit the Lightbox Gallery to see recent projects and prototypes. More

Special Events for Members

Friday, May 5, 9am–5pm

Our latest Members Day Trip includes visits to two historic sites in Massachusetts: the Fruitlands Museum and the Concord Museum. More
Wednesday, May 10, 5:30–6:30pm
Members are invited to discover our collections during a special curator-led tour through select galleries, held outside the museums’ public hours. More
If you’re not yet a member, you can join here.

Reverie: Christopher Wilmarth, Before and After Mallarmé — A Symposium

Friday, May 19, 1–4pm
Deknatel Hall, Lower Level

The symposium, which coincides with the opening of the exhibition Reverie: Christopher Wilmarth, Before and After Mallarmé, will focus on the life and work of sculptor Christopher Wilmarth, the influence of French symbolist Stéphane Mallarmé on Wilmarth's artistic choices, and the role of Mallarmé in the world of avant-garde art-making in the 20th century. More

Tuesday, May 23, 3–4:30pm
Menschel Hall, Lower Level

Harvard professor Jane Kamensky will discuss John Singleton Copley’s views on pre-revolution Boston, in conjunction with our Philosophy Chamber exhibition. More

Highlights from Index

Curators visited Beijing’s Forbidden City to research rare Chinese ceramic vessels for our upcoming Jun Ware exhibition. More

Art majors aren’t the only ones behind our student-led tours: your guide is just as likely to be studying astrophysics or computer science. More