A Generous Medium: Photography at Wellesley, 1972–2012

Organized by Lucy Flint; Lisa Fischman, Ruth Gordon Shapiro ’37 Director of the Davis; and Hannah Townsend ’11, A Generous Medium: Photography at Wellesley 1972–2012 was realized with major funding from The J. Paul Getty Trust.

Mined from the extensive photographic holdings, this innovative exhibition featured works selected for interpretation by sixty-five participants—Davis directors and curators, Wellesley faculty, alumnae in the field, and major patrons—all of whom have had an instrumental role in the shape and pedagogical use of the collection over the last forty years. The selections are organized unconventionally, by date of acquisition, to allow for serendipitous and revealing juxtapositions, surprising connections, and startling revelations.

The exhibition and the accompanying catalogue feature an eloquent range of pictures, from unattributed early photographs to works by renowned contemporary artists. This diversity reflects the impassioned engagement of many contributors over time, and the aspirational ambitions and exuberant inventiveness of the photographic project at Wellesley writ large.

More information on the project can be found here.

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