Colby College Museum of Art

The Colby Museum is dedicated to the preservation, display, and interpretation of the arts. The collection encompasses art works from diverse cultures and historical periods, with a focus on American art from the early eighteenth century through the present day. Among these are important works by Mary Cassatt, Marsden Hartley, Joan Mitchell, Alex Katz, Maya Lin, Martin Puryear, Richard Serra, Kiki Smith, and Terry Winters.

Now considered one of the leading academic museums in the country, the museum has a dynamic exhibitions schedule and educational program. Through scholarly, innovative, and creative programs, the museum serves both as a cornerstone of a liberal arts education and as a cultural resource to Waterville residents and visitors to the state.

In 2013, the museum opened the Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion in celebration of the arrival of The Lunder Collection—more than 500 works of art given by Peter and Paula Lunder. Highlights from the collection include works by Fredric Church, Winslow Homer, Georgia O’Keeffe, Donald Judd, and John Chamberlain. Central to the collection are more than 300 works by James McNeill Whistler, the largest grouping of Whistler works in an academic museum. The Lunder Collection is also comprised of the Lunder-Colville Chinese Art Collection.

Established in 2017, the Lunder Institute for American Art supports innovative research and creative production that expands the boundaries of American art. The Lunder Institute invites visiting artists, scholars, and fellows to engage across disciplines with Colby faculty and students, the College’s network of institutional partners, leading experts, and other creative collaborators. Through incubator grants, fellowships, and symposia addressing regional and global concerns, the Lunder Institute amplifies marginalized voices, challenges convention, and provides a platform for generative dialogue through art and scholarship.

Above: Exterior view of Colby Museum of Art’s Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion. Photo by Trent Bell Photography.