Institutions visually assert their history by the erection of monuments, sculptures, even living memorials (arboreta, such as the University Green and Centennial Woods, and topiary like the UVM entrance landscaping on Williston road) to commemorate important events or to acknowledge individuals who shaped their development. The University of Vermont is particularly rich in the broad spectrum of these memorials, placed in outdoor settings and in public spaces...

The growth and the development of the University of Vermont has been determined in part by men and women-- patrons, presidents, distinguished trustees and faculty-- who in various ways have shaped the institution through creative leadership and vision, financial support, or major gifts to UVM. A history of UVM can thus be reconstructed by looking at portraits of those individuals whose collective contributions also help us to better understand the University in the 21st century. The media vary: prints, photographs, paintings, and sculpture (free-standing, bas-relief and portrait busts). Some works are placed in public spaces; others are housed in various places throughout the University...

Over a period of more than two hundred years UVM has carefully assembled --by gifts and acquisitions-- remarkable collections of art and artifacts from various cultures and civilizations, as well as collections with a special focus upon the history and culture of Vermont. The two principal repositories at UVM for these visual arts collections are the Robert Hull Fleming Museum and Special Collections of Bailey-Howe Library. They offer unparalleled opportunities for students and visitors to study original works of art first hand and to more completely understand the work in its larger cultural context when displayed in changing exhibitions...