The Bates Museum of Art’s collections house more than 10,000 objects and everyone finds themselves drawn to something different. Here you can find the reflections of members of the museum and college community on objects they can’t tear their eyes from.

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  Collection Highlight: Stephen Schaefer by Alice NeelApril 11, 2025
  I first saw this portrait of Stephen Schafer by Alice…
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  Collection Highlight: Isabella Kirkland’s BackApril 11, 2025
  When I first looked at Back by Isabella Kirkland, I…
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  Collection Highlights: Contest by William Pope.LApril 11, 2025
  I was thinking about the way people use bigoted language.…
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  Collection Highlights: James Cormier’s Departing CloudsSeptember 18, 2023
  This gorgeous print entered the museum’s collection at the close…
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  Collection Highlights: Shellburne Thurber’s Palimpsests of PlaceJune 27, 2023
  “What’s intriguing about interiors is what they have to say…