Gifts of Art to the University/Collection Policy

We are grateful to the University community – generous alumni, trustees, parents, and friends– for the continued support and commitment to the development of the Permanent Art Collection. Gifts of art to the University are brought before the University Gifts of Art Committee for consideration to enter the Collection. Learn more on how to donate a work of art >

Collection Mission and Policy
The mission of the Tufts University Permanent Art Collection is to enhance the lives of members of the Tufts community through the presence of fine art on campus. The Tufts University Art Gallery is the principle steward of Tufts University's permanent art collection, totaling approximately 2,000 works of art. Works of art are accessioned to the Collection through the Gifts of Art Committee, chaired by the Director of Galleries and Collections. For more information about the University's art collection management policies, please contact Amy Ingrid Schlegel.

Alex's Place

The profile of the visual arts at Tufts was manifested in an unprecedented way in the spring of 2009 with the completion of the University's first permanent public art commission for the Tisch Library rooftop plaza, Alex's Place. This 11,000 square foot site renovation project was spearheaded by then-President Lawrence S. Bacows' strong desire to see that central site become an attractive destination through a distinctive, multi-use design that would also honor a former Tufts student, Alex Mendell, who loved to go there. His parents, Tom and Andrea Mendell, were the lead donors.

Alex's Place represents a collaborative vision blending landscape architecture and public art by artist Jackie Ferrara and landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg.

A sequence of distinct, interconnected spaces or "rooms" accommodating multiple purposes, all tied to the rhythm and pace of campus life, create a centralized location for studying, contemplation, outdoor teaching, socializing, performances, events, and receptions.