The Davis Museum at Wellesley College has a full slate scheduled for the cultural institution’s big re-opening on February 13. There are events for everyone from the educated art lover to the casual enjoyer, to families with kids in strollers. Here’s what’s on the schedule:

Spring Opening Celebration

Tuesday, February 13
5:30pm – 9:00pm
Davis Museum

5:30pm Keynote Lecture
“The Poetry of the Everyday: Clarence H. White and the Creation of American Art Photography, 1895-1925”
Collins Cinema

Clarence White, photographer — In her keynote lecture, “The Poetry of the Everyday: Clarence H. White and the Creation of American Art Photography, 1895-1925,” Anne McCauley, David Hunter McAlpin Professor of the History of Photography and Modern Art, Princeton University, and curator of the exhibition, Clarence H. White and His World, will trace how a young man from Newark, Ohio, taught himself photography and within five years was exhibiting in London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, and elsewhere. White’s melding of the ideals of Arts and Crafts movement and American socialism with the new demands of advertising and magazine illustration resulted in innovative compositions that defined what “modernism” in photography would be in the twentieth century.

Stroller Tours – Focus: The Art of Love

Wednesday, February 14
10:15am

Davis Lobby and Galleries

Spend an art-filled morning at the Davis strolling the galleries during this free guided tour—a special opportunity for families open before normal hours. Designed for art lovers and their little ones (recommended for children up to 2 years old). Join Arthurina Fears, Manager of Museum Education Programs, for a different theme on the second Wednesday of each month: February 14: The Art of Love; March 14: Abstract Patterns; April 11: Spring is in the Air; and May 9: Making an Impression.

Symposium: Fragments and the Modernist Aesthetic

Friday, February 16
2pm
Collins Cinema

Fragments, Davis Museum, Wellesley — The fragments collected by Wellesley from the 1940s until the 1960s reflected modernist tastes that encompassed not only African masks, Mediterranean antiquities, and medieval architectural elements, but also abstract painting, inventive architecture, and sleek design. Guest speakers and attendees will examine the role fragments played in the mid-century modernism shaped by artists, collectors, and museums. This afternoon symposium will include presentations by art historian and critic Aruna D’Souza and Ithaca College Assistant Professor Risham Majeed, with discussion led by Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Anthropology at Wellesley Elizabeth Minor.

Soulful Stitching, Patchwork Quilts by African (Siddis) in India

Soulful Stitching, Davis Museum, Wellesley — The Siddis of Karnataka are the descendants of early African immigrants to South Asia and enslaved Africans brought to India’s west coast since the 16th century. While they have adopted, adapted, and integrated many aspects of Indian cultures, Siddis have also retained and transformed African traditions. In the visual arts, one stands out: the patchwork quilts known as kawandi. The quilts will be on view starting February 13.

Davis Museum at Wellesley College, upcoming exhibits

Spring Opening Celebration

Stroller Tours – Focus: The Art of Love

Symposium: Fragments and the Modernist Aesthetic

Soulful Stitching, Patchwork Quilts by African (Siddis) in India

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