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Objects on view at a study gallery in the Bernstein Center for Object Study

Hands-on Experience with Art Acquisition

Read an article in "The Dartmouth" about Museum Collecting 101.

Museum Collecting 101

EACH YEAR, DARTMOUTH STUDENTS SELECT WORKS TO ENTER THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION. 

  • A group of students looks at photographs on a table.

    LEFT Students looks at photographs during the Museum Collecting trip to New York in 2019.

  • Dartmouth students participating in the spring 2017 session of Museum Collecting 101 review potential photographs to acquire for the Hood’s collection.

    LEFT Dartmouth student participants in the spring 2017 Museum Collecting 101 class review photographs for potential acquisition into the Hood’s collection.

  • Students at Howard Greenberg Gallery

    LEFT Students in the 2018 Museum Collecting 101 class look at photographs at the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York.

  • A zoom window with students, staff, and a painting of a figure wearing a green patterned cloth against a gray wall with the outline of a tree.

    LEFT Museum Collecting 101 continues over Zoom in 2020 as students discuss works of art from a selection of domestic and international galleries.

  • LEFT From left, Erin O'Flaherty MALS ’12, Stephenie Lee ’11, Leigh Latimer ’11, Chris Sherman ’08, and Virginia Ratliff ’14 review works of art during Museum Collecting 101. Photo by Kasia Vincunas ’11.

Through Museum Collecting 101, a non-curricular course offered during either winter or spring terms, Dartmouth students from all backgrounds and majors take part in an exciting and important aspect of the museum: acquisitions. For several weeks, a group of up to twelve students meets weekly with curatorial and education staff in ninety-minute sessions to learn about the museum's collections and acquisitions process. Students are introduced to a selection of artists and their work, which they discuss in depth, especially in terms of the potential for interdisciplinary curricular connections. Students choose an artist, consider several potential purchases, and vote to select one work. Past participants have sometimes had the opportunity to travel to New York or Boston to visit art dealers and examine the works in person.

Applications for Museum Collecting 101 will open Monday, March 30, 2026 and will close once slots are filled. Applications will not be accepted before March 30th.

THE PROGRAM: The opportunity to meet with the Hood Museum's director and curators and be introduced to the museum's collection. You'll discuss the criteria curators use to acquire works of art for a museum collection and review the work of several artists. You'll travel to Boston to view works in person at dealers. Finally, you'll select a work of art for the Hood Museum to add to its collection.

WHEN:
Time: Monday afternoons, 3:30–5:00 pm
Dates: April 13, April 20, April 27, all day trip May 2, May 4,
and May 11
Field Trip to Boston: May 2, 2026

WHERE: Meeting in-person in the Bernstein Center for Object Study at the Hood Museum of Art.

THE TYPE OF ART: This year's theme is Contemporary Art. This year's program focuses on artworks that deepen, or even complicate, our sense of contemporary art. We will cover several leading trends in the art world today and explore which ones we think need to be better represented in the Hood's collection. You will work closely with the Hood's Virginia Rice Kelsey 1961s Director, John Stomberg. 

TRIP TO BOSTON: The class will leave Hanover early on Saturday, May 2, and return later that night. While in Boston the class will visit art dealers among other activities. Attending the trip is required for participation in the program.

Transportation and a meal stipend will be covered by the museum.

TO SIGN UP:
Participation is limited to Dartmouth students. FREE. No previous art knowledge or experience necessary. All classes and majors welcome.

Applications for Museum Collecting 101 are open Monday, March 30, 2026, and will close once slots are filled.

To apply, write to Ms. Amelia Kahl at look.at.the.hood@dartmouth.edu and tell us your name, year, major, and briefly why you would like to participate. 
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Space is limited and participation in all six sessions is required. Priority will be given to students who have not previously participated in a Museum Collecting 101 program.

QUESTIONS:
Please contact Ms. Amelia Kahl at amelia.b.kahl@dartmouth.edu

 

Museum Collecting 101 Mission

Museum Collecting 101 has been dedicated mainly to strengthening the Hood Museum of Art's contemporary photography and prints collection. Since the program was founded in 2002, the Hood Museum has acquired works on paper, primarily photographs from a wide range of artists, representing various subjects. Each year, Hood staff determine a specific area of contemporary photography or prints for students to focus on, such as Latin American photography, female photographers, landscape photography, digitally altered works, Asian photography, and documentary photography. Occasoinally, as in 2025, the program has shifted to the museum's print collection.

Selected Artists

Artists whose work students have selected for the museum to purchase include:

Leaving a Legacy

Museum Collecting 101 is a rich and vibrant program that has allowed undergraduate students to leave a legacy that extends far beyond their four years on campus. The names of all of the students who participate in the program are included in the credit line for the work of art they selected for purchase, and the works they have chosen are frequently used for teaching and exhibitions.

QUESTIONS?

Upcoming Events

More Events >

CONVERSATIONS AND CONNECTIONS

Apr 2 12:30 - 01:30PM

HOOD HIGHLIGHTS TOUR

Apr 8 12:30 - 01:30PM

MAKER DROP-IN

Apr 11 01:00 - 04:00PM

STORYTIME IN THE GALLERIES

Apr 11 01:00 - 01:45PM

SPECIAL LECTURE AND RECEPTION

Apr 16 05:00 - 06:00PM

A SPACE FOR DIALOGUE GALLERY TALK

Apr 29 04:00 - 04:45PM