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I am a huge art and art history fan. Huge. I took an art history course in my senior year of high school and adored it. I love looking at beautiful things, seeing what makes them significant, and how they’ve impacted the world around them. That’s part of the reason why I love art museums so much. 

Luckily for me, we have a place right here on campus that is perfect for art lovers. Tucked inside the Fine Arts Center is the University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA). It’s super accessible to anyone interested and admission is free.

The UMCA was founded in 1962 and has been housed on campus since 1975, specializing in the interdisciplinary study and collection of paper contemporary art, particularly conceptual art. The permanent collection holds almost 3,800 works of art, making it the largest public contemporary art collection in the state outside of Boston. It contains a wide variety of artwork, including photography, prints, collages, drawings, and more. Most of the works are obtained through donations. 

The museum features a vast and diverse collection of artists, including many recognizable names. The collection includes 154 photographs by Andy Warhol, though the most exhibited artist is Sol LeWitt, an American known for his key role in the minimalist movement. 

Instead of keeping all of the collection on permanent view, pieces are regularly placed into new themed exhibits. 

“There are two pieces on view in the exhibition Between Earth and Sky: Artists in Dialogue with the Land that I keep going back to,” says Kristina Durocher, the Director of Visual Arts at the Fine Arts Center. “One is a model of a sculptural maze made of chain-link fence that was once installed on campus. It was designed by artist Richard Fleischner in 1977 and located not far from the stadium; for years it was a rite of passage for students to complete the maze. The other work of art is a speculative drawing by Patricia Johanson of a mountain apartment building whose floor plan is based on the anatomy of a flatworm. The two pieces speak to me about the power of artists to interrupt the status quo by imagining alternatives to the here and now and the ambitious creativity that exists on campus.”

Durocher also pointed me to Dianne Smith's paper costumes and Athena Latocha's monumental drawings, which are some of the museum's most praised pieces. The spring 2027 exhibition, Raw Material: The Art and Life of Susan Kleckner, stands out amongst most of the UMCA’s collection, as it covers the works of a now-deceased but significant feminist artist and activist, rather than a living one.

The UMCA is, of course, not the only building on campus made for art lovers. We have two galleries—the Hampden and Augusta Savage Galleries. The Hampden Gallery is located at the center of the Southwest residential area, and typically it focuses on experimental works by local artists. The Augusta Savage Gallery is located in New Africa House. It was founded in 1970 by the W. E. B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies, and exhibitions focus on issues related to race, ethnicity, culture, and class, with an emphasis on diversity among its artists. Desmond Beach’s exhibit in October 2026, The Souls of Black Folk, stands out in particular for its interactivity. In a workshop titled The Gathering Spot, students created mementos to decorate an altar that became part of the exhibit. 

For students interested in deepening their knowledge, the UMCA offers several educational programs: Collecting 101, Student Museum Educators, and the Graduate Curatorial Fellowship program. 

“We provide practical experience through internships, independent study, and work-study positions, employing about 25 students each year,” says Durocher. “We also partner on programs with the College of Nursing, Honors College, and College of Natural Sciences as well as individual departments, such as art history.”

There are so many ways a student here at UMass can get involved in the art industry. Be it through simply viewing and exploring art on your own time, interacting with professional artists directly in workshops, exploring the field of curation, or creating your own work. And the UMCA and UMass’ galleries are there to support you all the way through your art journey. 

When asked what her favorite aspect of the UMCA is, Durocher’s answer was simple. “I enjoy helping artists realize their artistic visions and connecting people to art as part of their personal development and educational experience.”