Space of the Week: Cooley Gallery

Photo courtesy of Reed College

The Cooley Gallery in the Reed Library draws from around 2,500 objects in Reed College’s Art Collection, all of which are recorded in Cooley’s online database. The gallery designs three to four exhibitions per year in collaboration with partner museums, Reed faculty, Cooley student interns, and artists, with the length of the exhibitions depending on their relevance to student classwork and events, and the tolerance of artwork to light. The gallery also does educational outreach, and sponsors programs and publications related to the exhibitions. It is the goal of the team to provide quality and accessible exhibitions which align with student classes and programs. The gallery staff make an effort to bring works to Portland that, according to Curator Stephanie Snyder, “would not otherwise be seen in [the] region.”

Snyder, Reed alumna and professional curator in charge of the Cooley Gallery, described the goals of her team and the mission of the gallery in relation to student life on campus. She explained that the Cooley Gallery is run like any other museum, with the only difference being that the Cooley is smaller and located in a library — which she loves. The mission of the Cooley Gallery is to enrich the intellectual and artistic life of Reedies and community members through a diverse range of exhibitions of both historical and contemporary visual art, as well as lectures, symposia, and publications.

Make sure to attend the Cooley’s current exhibition of Leo Rubinfien’s work, and look out for more exhibitions and activities sponsored by Cooley!