The Collectors’ Collaborative Winter Event

Last month, Museum staff and members of the Collectors’ Collaborative visited artist Lily Wong at her studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Established in 2007 and co-chaired by Isabel Taube ’92 and Ellen Grenley McKernan ’06, the Collectors’ Collaborative offers Bowdoin graduates pathways to stay connected with one another, the Museum, and the visual arts through twice-yearly excursions. During these events, Collaborative members hear directly from artists about their practice and often see material that has not yet been displayed publicly. Over two dozen alumni, ranging from the class of 1988 to 2022, gathered last month to join a stimulating discussion with Wong about her current work and upcoming projects.

A native of Seattle, Lily Wong is a figurative painter whose work explores themes of yearning, intimacy, and memory through the juxtaposition of bodies in space and time. Wong spoke about her training and background, sharing insights about her journey transitioning from printmaking to painting, monochrome to color, and small- to large-scale work. She also shared examples from an ongoing series that explores, among many things, her recent foray into traditional Chinese medicine. Drawn to Eastern medicine’s holistic approach to the body, Wong aims to represent the interconnectivity between mind, spirit, and the environment as her figures meander across dream-like landscapes and urban structures. Her other influences range from Hong Kong cinema to Japanese animation.

This and other events are jointly organized by Museum staff and the Collaborative’s co-chairs and programming committee, who meet regularly to discuss upcoming opportunities and to share artists and topics of interest. The visit to Wong’s studio arose from conversations about the current exhibition Without Apology: Asian American Selves, Memories, Futures, which was curated by five Bowdoin faculty members as part of the College-wide Asian American Reckonings initiative. This project prompted the Museum to expand its holdings of work by artists of the Asian diaspora, and Collaborative members eagerly shared a long list of Asian American artists that they were interested in learning more about. We are grateful to this group for introducing us to Lily Wong and orchestrating such a fun and engaging afternoon at her studio.

By sharing their art-world connections and ideas, Collaborative members directly shape the Museum’s collections. Members who contribute to a designated acquisitions fund are given the opportunity to vote on a work of art featured at one of the year’s Collaborative events. The winning artwork is then purchased by the Museum using the donated funds, ensuring the interests of Bowdoin alumni are reflected in the collection and future exhibitions. With no set minimum contribution, members can donate any amount, which helps guarantee an inclusive process. However, members do not need to donate in order participate in events, which are open to all Bowdoin alumni.

To learn more about how to be involved with the Collectors’ Collaborative, we invite you to reach out to CollectorsCollaborative@bowdoin.edu. We will add you to the Collaborative mailing list to learn more about upcoming events. We are thankful for co-chairs Isabel and Ellen, as well as our current Collaborative members, for their commitment to championing the arts at Bowdoin College and beyond.

Cassandra Braun, Curator
Bowdoin College Museum of Art