The Tufts Permanent Collection of Art was established early in the University’s 150-year history and includes portraits of the University’s founders Charles and Hanna Tufts. Other examples of the earliest pieces collected include portraits of noted benefactors and faculty as well as landscapes that depict the University’s bucolic origins and the progression of the campus over the years into its current state. These works collectively narrate a historical record of Tufts and are the hallmark of a collection that has expanded to include a significant range of art from antiquity to the present.

With the continued support of many past and current donors, the Tufts Permanent Collection has grown to nearly 2,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, and photographs. The collection dates back to ancient civilization and includes Egyptian, Greek, and Roman ceramics and sculpture. From the Art of the Americas, two polychrome Maya plates, a ceremonial vessel dated between 500-900 A.D., and carved jade from China, add to the distinction and breadth of the holdings in Antiquities.

The collection of 19th century paintings includes portraits and landscapes in addition to sculptural works. The portrait, Dr. Morton Prince, attributed to John Singer Sargent, is prominently featured in the collection. A beautiful, dark and atmospheric landscape titled Sunset by Ralph Albert Blakelock, a contemporary of Albert Pinkham Ryder, invites many comments because of its contemporary feel.

In recent years the collection’s holdings have expanded considerably to include art from the late Modern period. Works by artists Helen Frankenthaler, Alice Neel, Louise Nevelson, Henry Moore, and Andy Warhol are installed throughout buildings on campus to enrich the experience of the community and the visiting public.

Photography is a notable medium of the collection. Works from some of the world’s finest photographers including Alvarez Bravo, Dr. Harold Edgerton, Walker Evans, Larry Fink, Lee Friedlander, Ralph Gibson and others enrich the collection’s range of styles. Particularly noteworthy are works by contemporary photographers Marilyn Bridges, Sally Gall, Joel Meyerowitz, Richard Misrach, Delilah Montoya, and Gilles Peress.

Requests for the loan of works of art should adhere to the guidelines of the Tufts Intra-University Art Loan Program. (Download PDF)