Turning 40 is a big deal, whether you’re a person or a cultural institution. So, when curator Dr. Kirk Nickel learned that the Haggerty Museum of Art would be celebrating its 40th birthday, he knew he needed to dig deep to put together a major exhibition worthy of such a milestone anniversary.
The main challenge, according to Nickel, was the staggering scale of the Haggerty’s collection, which encompasses 10,000 objects, ranging from 500-year-old European Renaissance paintings to modern American masterpieces. “We didn’t want it to be a straightforward highlight reel,” says Nickel. “But we also knew there were standout pieces that needed to be included.”
After several months of scouring their collection, Nickel whittled down the exhibition roster to under 150 artworks, which he decided to install in two parts, one each semester. Works by artists such as Keith Haring and Diego Rivera are represented, alongside some underrepresented gems. “Not everyone finds everything interesting, but the show’s diversity ensures there’s something for everyone,” Nickel says, adding that the exhibition’s breadth and depth — like the collection itself — foster engagement opportunities for students, who visit the museum to learn about art history topics related to their course work.
Keith Haring created Untitled, left, during a 1983 campus visit. Elizabeth Murray’s Down Dog, right, is printed on layered paper to create an intricate reinterpretation of a familiar subject.
According to John McKinnon, the Haggerty’s director since August 2024, the exhibition has given him a chance to get acquainted with the strengths of the museum’s collection. “I imagine the same must be true for new audiences as well,” he says. “And even for those who already know the collection well, there are great reasons to visit, including rarely shown works on paper and newly conserved artworks.”
KEITH HARING ARTWORK © KEITH HARING FOUNDATION; ELIZABETH MURRAY, DOWN DOG, 1988 © 2025 THE MURRAY-HOLMAN FAMILY TRUST / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK; PIETA WITH ANGELS BY DIOGO DE CONTREIRAS, GIFT OF MR. AND MRS. MARC B. ROJTMAN.
