Our calendar is filling up with events to make for an exciting February. Join curators to get a closer look at ancient life in A World Within Reach: Greek and Roman Art from the Loeb Collection. Visit during the week for a gallery talk that reframes a selection of 19th-century paintings with a complicated history or come in on the weekend to imagine yourself in one of Kehinde Wiley’s powerful portraits.

No matter when you visit, you will leave the Harvard Art Museums with new perspectives on art—from the ancient to the contemporary.

Exhibition

Re-examining Empire

Get ready next month for the special exhibition From the Andes to the Caribbean: American Art from the Spanish Empire, opening March 3. Presenting 26 paintings from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, the exhibition will reveal a more complete story of art from the Spanish Empire—and a broader definition of American art.

Installation

Artisanal Modernism

Bauhaus lovers rejoice! Now on view, Artisanal Modernism offers visitors a more inclusive and expansive history of the development of modernism since the later 19th century—one that better articulates the labor of women as artists and artisans.

Exhibition

Power, Desire, Wonder, in Miniature

Come see ancient Greece and Rome with fresh eyes! Drawn from the collection of James Loeb (1867–1933), A World Within Reach features 60 ancient Greek and Roman objects that are small in size but expansive in possibilities—from a mirror with an image of Medusa on the back to a sculpture of a weary Herakles. Who used these objects and for what purpose? The exhibition explores human concerns then and now. Bring a friend on a gallery talk to get a closer look at these small-scale wonders.

Activity

Step into Art!

Let your imagination soar! In this special drop-in event presented by the organization Step Into Art, you’re invited to contribute to a multidimensional community art installation in the Calderwood Courtyard inspired by Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Asia-Imani, Gabriella-Esnae, and Kaya Palmer, on Sunday, February 12.

Gallery Talk

Symbolism Demystified

In this first installment of our Meet Me at the Museums series, join Clara Guzman on Sunday, February 26 as she decodes several crucifixion scenes laden with symbolism. She will also share how her research has been informed by her experience studying art history at Harvard and working as a student assistant here at the museums.

Gallery Talk

Art-Inspired Writing

Don’t miss a special interactive online talk on Wednesday, February 15 that combines art looking and writing, led by two graduate students. Together as a group, attendees will consider the relationship between looking, describing, and imagining.

Workshop

Free U.S. Citizenship Course

This spring, aspiring U.S. citizens can register for a free 10-week course at the Harvard Art Museums to prepare for the citizenship exam. Special tours of the American art galleries, led by Harvard students, will deepen the lessons taught by teachers from St. Mark Community Education Program in one of our museum classrooms. The course begins February 18.

At Night

Night Vision

Last month’s At Night event was a smash hit, so be sure to plan ahead for the next one, on Thursday, February 23. Explore the galleries, including the new exhibition A World Within Reach: Greek and Roman Art from the Loeb Collection, and take in one of the gallery tours happening throughout the night.

Lecture

A Contemporary Lens

On Saturday, February 25, join the Harvard Art Museums Student Board for its highly anticipated annual public lecture, featuring artist Pao Houa Her in conversation with Makeda Best, the Richard L. Menschel Curator of Photography.

Index

Crafting Magic

Our most recent Index article, by assistant director for exhibitions Elie Glyn, celebrates the excellent craftsmanship of the people who build custom furnishings (such as pedestals, mounts, and cases) for our galleries.