Dear Friends,

Welcome to the MFA’s fall season—my first as Ann and Graham Gund Director. Exchange and collaboration are key to an art museum; this includes partnership among institutions, scholars, artists, scientists and makers, and all of us here at the MFA. The exciting results are on view this fall, ready for you make your own discoveries.

Opening August 23 in the Torf Gallery, “Rachel Ruysch: Artist, Naturalist, and Pioneer” presents the first comprehensive solo exhibition on the artist, famous in her day for working at the intersection of art and science. This major collaboration with the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, the Toledo Museum of Art, and biologists from Harvard University explores Rachel Ruysch’s (1664–1750) lifelong fascination with the natural world and the botanical discoveries of her time. Her acutely observed still lifes introduced unfamiliar species of flora and fauna, hinting at the scale and reach of the expansive Dutch commercial and colonial networks. Highlights from Harvard’s natural history collection appear alongside Ruysch’s paintings, showcasing marvels of the natural world that inspired her work.

In late September, “Martin Puryear: Nexus” opens in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art. Co-organized with the Cleveland Museum of Art, this major survey—the first in some 20 years—features sculpture and rarely shown drawings and prints of the past five decades by preeminent American artist Martin Puryear. His work is known for its beauty, craftsmanship, and the wide range of sources that inspired it—from global cultures to social history and the natural world. This fall, we invite you to experience the full range of Puryear’s work in all its power and grace.

A once-in-a-generation exhibition, “Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor,” opens in November, on view for just a limited time in the Gund Gallery. Tickets go on sale September 17 to members and September 23 to the general public. Described by writer Henry James as an artist “who sees everything at once with its envelope of light and air,” Homer had a long relationship with New England and the MFA—the Museum’s collection of his watercolors is unrivaled. Don’t miss your opportunity to experience their unique qualities in person.

Choose from a rich schedule of programs and events this season to make your visit even more rewarding. I look forward to seeing you at the MFA!

Warmly,

Pierre Terjanian
Ann and Graham Gund Director