You Belong Here
So much is in store for you at Lesley University! Now that you’ve been accepted, RSVP for our exclusive celebration for new undergraduate and Threshold students for either Saturday, March 23 or Saturday, April 27.

Bringing Artists to Cambridge

The gallery spaces across campus have brought local and international artists to Lesley University and the greater Cambridge community. From a retrospective of Irving Penn's photographs to a collection of artwork by Temple Grandin and other artists with Autism Spectrum Disorder, our exhibition space has inspired dialogue and inquiry while engaging the surrounding community.

Alumni, students, faculty and staff have all shown their work in these public spaces, gaining experience in or maintaining their professional careers as curated artists and designers.

Lesley Art + Design Visiting Artist Series

The Lesley Art + Design's Visiting Artist Series invites exhibiting artists and designers to speak about their work and practice to the University community and the general public. Visiting artists also work directly with students and often lead hands-on workshops for teens, undergraduates, graduates students, alumni, and the general public through the Office of Community Engagement.

artist talking to student in small artist studio space

Past Visiting Artists

  • Kaz Oomori

    Kaz Oomori's highly regarded illustrations have received international attention and a client list that includes Walt Disney Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucas Film Ltd and Warner Brother's Studios. He has made significant contributions to the film industry through his visual approach that challenges the cultural and societal narratives in films and the way they are promoted.

    digital poster of Avengers movie with the characters flying out of the center

    Oomori also teaches at Nara College of Arts in Nara, Japan where Lesley students and faculty have visited and partnered with as part of the Japan travel course. As part of the Visiting Artist Series, Oomori collaborated with illustration alumni and students to create a permanent large-scale mural in University Hall.

  • Alex Jackson

    Jackson's process has been described by him as, “A mining through historical narratives, Afrodiasporic histories and geographies, science fiction, global modernisms, and a discourse on representation.”

    Textile collage of people sitting on the ground in the woods

    Jackson creates a distinctive tableau of painting figuration and narrative imagery. Recent shows of his include Zevitas Marcus, Los Angeles; Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL; Green Gallery, Yale University; and Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston.

  • Wardell Milan

    Working at the dynamic intersection of drawing, painting and photography, Milan began as an artist in residence at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture before earning an MFA at Yale University. His three-dimensional dioramas gained considerable recognition and have been exhibited at The Studio Museum in Harlem, and The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh.

    digital print with collaged imagery of nude people in a lush green forest
    "Miss Floral Pageant"

    As part of the series, Milan visited several fine art senior studios where he looked at final projects and shared some helpful advice. He also collaborated with our community partners at the deCordova museum with an installation piece and outdoor lecture.

  • JooYoung Choi '12

    MFA in Visual Arts alumna, Choi merges fantasy with autobiography in multidisciplinary work that explores a fictional land called the Cosmic Womb. Her work has been exhibited at The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, The National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Contemporary Art Museum of Houston.

    painting of women and animals sitting in a circle connected by white lines on top of a green checkered background
    "Big Time Rescue"

    As part of the series, Choi hosted several workshops for Lesley students and participated in classroom critiques. Her work was also exhibited on campus in the Raizes gallery, as part of the "Kith & Kin" show.

  • Trenton Doyle Hancock

    Trenton Doyle Hancock creates prints, drawings and collaged felt paintings which tell the story of his mythical characters called the Mounds. His work is influenced by comics, films and music that convey symbolic meaning through traditional painterly forms. Hancock is one of the youngest artists to ever participate in the Whitney Biennial and was also featured in a major exhibit at Mass MoCA. He has also served as an MFA in Visual Arts faculty mentor over the years for many graduate students and artists.

    collaged fabrics and painted elements on black surface
    "Duel by a Bleeder"

    Participating in classroom critiques and gallery talks, Hancock exhibited work in Raizes during the Artist Series.

  • Alex Da Corte

    Conceptual artist Alex Da Corte works in painting, sculpture, installation and video art. Known for using surreal imagery combined with everyday objects, his work explores ideas of consumerism, pop culture, literature and mythology. Da Corte's work has been shown at La Biennale di Venezia, 2019 and Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia.

    gallery photo of house frame made of neon tubes in an orange lit room
    "Rubber Pencil Devil"

    As part of the Visiting Artist Series, Da Corte visited senior studios and participated in one-on-one critiques with fine arts and interdisciplinary students.

Lunder Arts Center

1801 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140

The three exhibition spaces we have in the Lunder Arts Center in Porter Square, Cambridge are the Roberts, the Raizes, and the Spotlight galleries.

Roberts, Raizes, and Spotlight Gallery Hours

Monday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday: 9:00 am– 8:00 pm
Friday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Roberts Gallery

Location: Lunder Arts Center, Main Level
As the largest and most visible of our galleries, the Roberts Gallery exhibits the works of nationally and internationally recognized artists, as well as regional and emerging artists. Exhibitions are curated across media to reflect a wide range of topics and interests.

Raizes Gallery

Location: Lunder Arts Center, Main Level
The Raizes Gallery showcases student work and departmental exhibitions. Here, annual BFA graduate exhibitions hang on the same walls that hold retrospectives of celebrated visiting artists, such as Kathe Kollwitz, Edward Gorey, Miguel Rio Branco, and Paula Scher.

Spotlight Gallery

Location: Lunder Arts Center, Lower Level
Focusing on Cambridge and Somerville-area artists, the Spotlight Gallery provides a platform for local talent. Recent exhibitors include Resa Blatman, Joel Janowitz, Mehdi Ghadyanloo, and Ariel Freiberg.

University Hall Galleries

1815 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140

The two exhibition spaces we have in University Hall—also located in Porter Square, Cambridge—are the VanDernoot Gallery and the John O. and Olivia Parker Gallery.

VanDernoot Gallery Hours

Friday to Sunday: 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Parker Gallery Hours

Monday to Friday: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm

VanDernoot Gallery

Location: University Hall, First Floor (Behind Bourbon Coffee)
The VanDernoot Gallery features established artists, research and thesis work, and Lesley University alumni. The site has exhibited prominent artists, including Derrick Woods-Morrow, Luba Lukova, Dell M. Hamilton, Luis Gonzalez Palma, and Shen Wei.

John O. and Olivia Parker Gallery

Location: University Hall, Second Floor Atrium
The Parker Gallery supports many of the academic and professional needs of the Lesley community. Our art education students exhibit here throughout the year. We also host conferences here, such as the annual MICE convention, and exhibits related to the Massachusetts Art Education Association. Recent showings include Lesley Green, artwork by Environmental Arts students, and My Family Goes to College, a photo project by Mario Quiroz.

Doble Campus

McKenna Student Center
34 Mellen Street
Cambridge, MA 02139

The Marran Gallery is the exhibition space on our Doble campus, which is located in our McKenna Student Center between Harvard and Porter Squares.

Marran Gallery Hours

Monday to Sunday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Marran Gallery

Location: McKenna Student Center, Lower Level
The Marran Gallery highlights artwork from a variety of artists within Lesley University and the local community. This gallery often focuses on work from our undergraduate and graduate Expressive Therapies community. Recent showings include Native American Resilience Through Art, artwork in partnership with Boston organization Violence Transformed, and work from art therapy majors of the Class of 2019. 

Exhibition Calendar