Seen on Campus: “Acquiring with a Purpose: Reimagining Davidson’s Art Collection”

It is no surprise that when Davidson College’s art collection began, it reflected the Eurocentric canon that has dominated art history for centuries. When first-year student Gordon Horton ‘42 organized the first-ever art exhibition on campus, the year was 1938, and the college consisted of an all-male student body, not to mention the lack of diversity among professors alike. Much like the college, the collection, in its early days during the 1950s, consisted primarily of artists who were white males. 

Today, a student like Horton would not recognize the Galleries’ collection, which consists of over 4,200 works. The collection serves as a teaching resource, used by faculty and students across disciplines to engage with ideas through visual art. As our course offerings have become more diverse over the years, our collection has evolved alongside them. Today, the Galleries work to acquire pieces by artists with diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives, working in various media. 

Interns at the Van Every/Smith Galleries are currently conducting a project that focuses on collecting demographic data of the artists represented in the collection. Having this data will allow us to more accurately identify the gaps in representation to ensure that we are curating a collection that is representative of the college’s academic and cultural values. 

This demographic project has inspired an exhibit that is currently on view in the Cunningham Theater Center. The exhibition is titled Acquiring with a Purpose: Reimagining Davidson’s Art Collection. Curated by Gallery Interns Sabrina Bonavita, Charlotte LaBenne, and Heidi McGannon, the exhibition highlights works in the collection by artists from historically underrepresented groups. This show features artists whose identities include Black American, Botswanan, Canadian, Iranian, and Syrian, as well as female, LGBTQ+, and non-binary. By centering these voices, the exhibition underscores the Galleries’ ongoing effort to broaden representation within the collection and invites viewers to reflect on how race, gender, and sexuality shape both artistic expression and institutional narratives. 

Visit the Cunningham Theatre Center this winter to see the exhibition and immerse yourself in an exploration of Davidson’s journey toward a more representational, inclusive, and strong collection. 

– Sabrina Bonavita ’26, Charlotte LaBenne ’26, Heidi McGannon ’26