The Davis Museum and Wellesley College Library Special Collections collaborated on Better on Paper, an exhibition celebrating a decade of acquisitions that reflect Wellesley’s dedication to inclusive excellence. It features a diverse array of works on paper—prints, drawings, photographs, rare books, and manuscripts—collected through purchases, gifts, and bequests. These objects, originating from around the globe and spanning various time periods, but emphasizing contemporary art, highlight the College’s commitment to today’s Wellesley Method: object-based and human- centered learning across the disciplines.
“Works on paper are a key part of our collecting strategy, because you can bring them out for themed class visits that we tailor for the Wellesley curriculum. Works on paper have a certain kind of flexibility for teaching that faculty and students benefit from,” says Amanda Gilvin, the Davis’s interim co-director, Sonja Novak Koerner ’51 Senior Curator of Collections, and associate director of curatorial affairs, who co-curated the exhibition with Ruth R. Rogers, curator of Special Collections and visiting lecturer in the Art Department. The Davis and Special Collections each host around 100 class visits annually.
A standout piece in the exhibition is Architects of the Future, City Inside Her, a work by Brooklyn-based contemporary artist Chitra Ganesh. It combines woodblock and screen printing, showcasing a striking interplay of textures and colors. The wood grain creates a dreamy pink sky, while matte layers add depth and dimensionality. Ganesh’s work explores representations of femininity, sexuality, and power often excluded from the canons of literature and art. This particular piece is inspired by ’60s and ’70s science fiction and the work of Amar Chitra Katha, an Indian comic book publisher known for its comics based on religious leg-ends and cultural stories.
This piece, acquired in 2014, was the first by Ganesh to join the Davis collection and remains a highlight for its technical complexity and cul-tural resonance. “Just from a technical point of view, it’s really interesting work, which we hope will be compelling for our studio art students,” says Gilvin. “And it’s also engaging with South Asia, the South Asian diaspora, and women’s perspectives on experiences of place.”
Better on Paper is on view through June 1 and is free and open to all.
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