University Museum of Contemporary Art Invited to Participate in Venice Biennale

Loretta Yarlow, director of the University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) at UMass, was recently honored to receive an invitation to participate in the next Venice Biennale, taking place for seven months, from April 23 through Nov. 27, 2022. The Venice Biennial has for over a century been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world.

The invitation comes from the European Cultural Centre (ECC), who for many years has organized exhibitions in Venice concurrent to the Biennale, held in various palazzo or in “satellite spaces” (the iconic and architecturally historic venues of Palazzo Mora, Palazzo Bembo and Marinaressa Public Gardens). Their aim is to collaborate with educational institutions and universities around the world to bring together the most exciting and pioneering projects focused on art research and investigations. This invitation from the ECC sets UMass Amherst and its Art Museum apart as a leader in the field of contemporary visual arts.

Because of funding issues and time constraints, the UMCA has respectfully declined to participate in the next Venice Biennale. Nonetheless, this invitation from the ECC is a feather in the cap for the museum and for the university to be acknowledged on a global level as a multidisciplinary, international laboratory for the exploration and advancement of contemporary art and for its commitment to experimentation and research.