Author Description

Mined from the photographic holdings of the Davis Museum, A Generous Medium honors the extraordinary legacy of collecting and pedagogical leadership in photography at Wellesley College. The catalogue of the exhibition features works selected for interpretation by sixty-five participants-Davis directors and curators, Wellesley faculty, alumnae in the field, and major patrons-all who have had an instrumental role in the shape and pedagogical use of the collection over the last forty years. The selections are organized unconventionally, by date of acquisition, to allow for serendipitous and revealing juxtapositions, surprising connections, and startling revelations. The catalogue presents an eloquent range of pictures, from unattributed early photographs to works by modern masters and renowned contemporary artists. This diversity reflects the impassioned engagement of many contributors over time, and the aspirational ambitions and exuberant inventiveness of the photographic project at Wellesley writ large.