Exhibitions

A selection of works from the Museum’s permanent collection that present a range of eras and styles vital to the story of American Art are currently on view. Notable artists represented include Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley, Rembrandt Peale, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Childe Hassam and Grandma Moses.

Spanning from 1870 to 2022, photographs on view represent a wide range of techniques and subjects, highlighting masterworks from the permanent collection. Built through generous donations from alumni and individual supporters, the photography collection continues to expand through the Muscarelle’s active and ongoing collecting initiatives. Works by pioneering photographers Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Curtis, Carleton Watkins, Bernice Abbott, Imogen Cunningham, Margaret Bourke-White and Roy DeCarava are presented alongside contemporary innovators including Markus Brunetti, Cara Romero, Adrián Fernández, Daisuke Yokota and Alison Rossiter among others.

Demonstrating mastery of composition and technique, renowned Native American artists invite us to explore and reflect upon Indigeneity through the lens of time, place and lived experiences. By intertwining tradition and creativity on canvas, paper, wood, and glass, each artist offers viewers moments of cultural resilience and beauty. Works by George Morrison, Emmi Whitehorse, Kay WalkingStick, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Peter Jemison, and others are presented here.

Following its debut during the grand quilt reveal in Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchants Square, the Great American Birthday Quilt — created by Visit Williamsburg in partnership with the Muscarelle Museum of Art — is now on display at the Muscarelle, where monumental sections will remain on view throughout 2026.

We invite you to experience this meaningful work up close, as it unites quilt squares contributed by individuals from across the country, in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Where Late the Sweet Birds represents selected works from Morgan Bulkeley’s expansive creative output across five decades.  Bulkeley’s eclectic realm of symbolism is concerned with the ecological crisis of our time, which has remained at the center of his practice since the early 1970s.  Where Late the Sweet Birds arrives at William & Mary during the Year of the Environment, a year-long celebration of our shared commitment to protecting our planet and the communities that depend on its health and resilience. This exhibition is curated by Patrick Harkin, Director of the Andrews Gallery, and is presented jointly by the Department of Art & Art History and the Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary.

The opening of the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts coincided with the 332nd anniversary of the issuing of the Royal Charter to establish a “perpetual college of learning in Virginia,” making us the second oldest university in the United States. The history of this institution is deep and dynamic, and parallels the founding of our nation with both struggles and successes. William & Mary educated four U.S. presidents, judges, statesmen and women, signers of the Declaration of Independence, teachers, legislators, lawyers, doctors, astronauts, scientists, veterans and exemplary citizens of this nation and the world. For this we are aptly known as “the Alma Mater of the Nation.” In this exhibition we return to our unique origin story with a look at our Royal Charter and the individuals who were essential in the founding of the “College of William and Mary” with selections from the permanent collection and loans from the Special Collections Research Center at Swem Library.

Featuring 13 hand-embroidered panels, one for each of the original colonies, America’s Tapestry illustrates the diverse stories of individual contributions — many overlooked — that reveal each colony’s struggle for independence. Collaboratively stitched by artisans from New Hampshire to Georgia, the panels weave together stories from our nation’s founding through the medium of embroidery to commemorate our country’s 250th anniversary. The project was developed and curated by Stefan Romero. The Virginia panel was stitched at the Muscarelle by members of the Williamsburg Rose and Thistle Chapter of the Embroidery Guild of America, along with community volunteers, under the direction of Catherine Theron.

This exhibition, in collaboration with William & Mary’s Office of Strategic Cultural Partnerships, is supported by a grant from the Coby Foundation during The Year of Civic Leadership at William & Mary and the nationwide America250 celebration.

As time moves us further from September 11, 2001, the responsibility to remember, and to understand, grows ever more important. For many, that day remains vivid: the blue morning sky, the shock, the disbelief and the profound loss. For younger generations, however, the events live only in stories, classrooms and memorials. Forever Marked By The Day: A Quarter Century of Mourning and Renewal commemorates the 25th anniversary of that pivotal day and invites visitors of all ages to reflect on its meaning to our nation and its enduring impact on our culture, our cities and our collective memory.

The exhibition unfolds across four galleries, exploring the history of the World Trade Center through an architectural perspective. It begins with Minoru Yamasaki’s Twin Towers, once emblematic of New York’s energy and ambition, and thoughtfully acknowledges the profound loss and impact of the events of 2001. From there, it considers the site’s careful and intentional rebuilding. Visitors follow the site’s transformation through Daniel Libeskind’s visionary plan, Michael Arad’s moving Reflecting Absence memorial, David Childs’ towering One World Trade Center, Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Snøhetta’s National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, and the Perelman Performing Arts Center by REX. Together, these works create a place that honors the past while embracing hope, resilience and renewal.

Forever Marked By The Day: A Quarter Century of Mourning and Renewal is curated by David Brashear, Director, and Adriano Marinazzo, Curator of Architecture, Photography, and European Art.