This winter, the Worcester Art Museum will unveil newly reimagined galleries dedicated to its renowned collection of American art from the colonial period through the 19th century. The fully redesigned space will showcase more than 130 works of art representing a diverse range of artists, media, styles, and stories. Scheduled to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States, the galleries will address the achievements, complexities, and enduring relevance of American art and history. Artworks will be grouped thematically, inviting viewers to draw connections between different time periods, perspectives, and artistic voices. Each section will delve into a subject that resonates throughout the history of American art and into the present day. Explore wide-ranging visions of nature, the ways art has been used to construct identities, the stories of New England makers, the global influences on American art, and more as you rediscover this signature area of the Museum’s collection. The American Art Galleries are curated by Karen Sherry, Curator of American Art. The Museum also sought input from a diverse group of community advisors, including representatives of various cultural and educational organizations.

Does it look like rain? From mythology to meteorology, journey through the dramatic scientific and social shift in Europe and America’s collective understanding of weather from the 16th to early 19th century. Bringing together more than forty works on paper, early weather forecasting devices, and more, A Weather Eye charts more than three hundred years of humanity’s evolving relationship with the natural world. Explore the mythology of weather and the classical theory of the four elements (earth, air, water, and fire). Delve into stories of witchcraft and sorcery, and the ways weather was divined through folk knowledge, astrology, and “weather wising.” Learn about the idolized innovators of the scientific revolution, and make light of the storm with satirical prints of cats, dogs, and more raining from the sky. This exhibition is curated by Olivia Stone, Assistant Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photography.

Christa Donner and Andrew S. Yang