Standing at the entrance to the Worcester Art Museum’s reimagined American Art Galleries, you find yourself face to face with Winslow Homer’s iconic painting, The Gale, of a woman bracing herself and her child against the wind. Next to that stands a container made by a Gwich’in artist out of birch bark and incised with geometric designs. To your left, a luminous stained-glass peacock created by John La Farge glows from a dimly lit room. To your right sits a ceramic vessel encircled with serpents from South America’s ancient Moche civilization. These galleries tell a new story about American art through 1900: one that reflects the breadth, diversity, and complexity of American history.
More than 130 artworks are on view in the new galleries—a more than 50% increase from the previous installation. The new galleries are now home to drawings, textiles, photographs, paintings, furniture, baskets, and silver, spanning a wide array of artist identities and subjects. And everything new that you can see is made possible by what you can only feel: an overhauled climate control system maintaining the narrow range of temperature and humidity necessary to preserve such a wide array of artworks. This modern presentation also brings with it the promise of constant change. Many of these objects are sensitive to light and will be rotated every few months, consistently bringing in new works and perspectives for visitors to explore.
You will also find the first artwork ever added to the Museum’s collection: Helen Mary Knowlton’s portrait of the influential Boston artist and teacher William Morris Hunt (1824–1879). Knowlton (1832–1918), a Worcester native, gifted the painting to WAM at its founding in 1896. Since then, American art has grown to be a central part of the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, with deep ties to the region’s history.
Be the first the hear about new articles and videos in the Member Monthly email newsletter. Members receive year-round free admission, tickets to events, and more.
Knowlton’s gift highlights another throughline in our new American Art Galleries: support from donors. Her gift may have been the first, but thankfully it was the first of many, and every gallery and every artwork has a story. In April 2024, Heath Drury Boote established the Boote Family Endowment Fund for American Art specifically to help the Worcester Art Museum maintain its longstanding commitment to—and exceptional strength in—American art. Her support, and the support of Members like you, helps ensure that the Museum will continue to evolve, grow, and connect people through art for generations to come.
Stay connected! Sign up for the Worcester Art Museum’s email newsletter.
