“We center art boldly in learning and conversation.”
That’s the mission. But what do we mean by that? As a campus art museum, one stewarding collections on behalf of one of the oldest universities in the nation and an R1 research institution, how does art shape the ways our students and communities learn, connect and see the world?
“Art is a lens through which you can have any conversation,” says Sonja Lunde, Executive Director of UVM’s Fleming Museum of Art.
"Viewing and being engaged with art is a primary source experience. Art demands you to be present. It invokes a reaction. The works in our galleries are not presented in terms of ‘good and bad,’ they are presented in terms of, ‘What questions do you have about this?’ And ‘how does this relate to you?'"
Over the past few years, the Fleming has transformed the Museum gallery by gallery, inviting more voices, creating more opportunities for interaction, and opening more spaces for gathering. The Museum’s semi-annual Kickoff Parties have become one way the Fleming brings together UVM’s campus community with greater Burlington and beyond.
The Fleming’s Fall 2026 Kickoff Party on September 16 from 5pm-7pm is free and open to all. Visitors are invited to check out the latest exhibitions and collections installations, enjoy snacks, talk art, and celebrate a new year of creativity and connection. Complimentary parking will be provided in the Museum and Votey lots.
Fall’s featured exhibitions
Catalyst: Art and Inquiry brings together recent work by University of Vermont studio art faculty whose practices demonstrate the power of creative inquiry to expand how knowledge is created and shared. Highlighting sixteen Vermont contemporary artists with diverse approaches to making, this group exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, photography and more. The throughline? Exploring the role of art as a catalyst for change, inquiry, and in imagining future possibilities.
A celebration of color and connection, Wolf Kahn: Conversations in Color is a group chat view of the celebrated colorist in conversation with artists who pursued related creative ideas and crossed paths throughout their careers, in both the New York art world and Vermont. Centered on Kahn’s exploration of color, light, and gesture, the exhibition pairs his paintings and works on paper with those of contemporaries including Pat Adams, George Ortman, Elaine De Kooning, and naturally, Emily Mason.
New perspectives, new ideas
Newly curated works in Art for Everyone: People, Place, Ideas and Wonder feature artists such as Kara Walker, Luis Jiménez, and Sol Lewitt, many of which are on view to the public for the first time. “Collections aren’t static,” says Heather Ferrell, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, who joined the Fleming this past spring.
“For this new iteration of our collections, I wanted to expand the conversation beyond people and place to include ideas. Collections and ideas are constantly evolving and transforming. Even through one work, our perspectives can shift over time, or we uncover more of the story to tell, or find there is a completely new story entirely. That’s what excites me. The range of our collections gives us opportunities to make unexpected connections, revisit histories, and expand ideas.”
These installations are part of the Museum’s overarching exhibition, Art for Everyone, an ongoing exploration of the approximately 25,000 works within the collections.
UVM’s Fleming Museum of Art is open for the Fall 2026 season from September 8, through December 12, 2026. The Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays and is free and open to all. Visit our website for more information.
About the Fleming Museum of Art
We are UVM’s art museum. From class visits and public programs to research and exhibitions shaped by the questions, creativity, and discoveries happening right here on campus: the Fleming is where learning comes alive. Each year, thousands of UVM students, community members, and visitors gather here to experience art that brings people together. The Museum and all events are free and open to all. Learn more at uvm.edu/fleming.
