Bowdoin College Museum of Art Announces Interim Director
By Bowdoin College Museum of Art
The Bowdoin College Museum of Art (BCMA) is excited to announce that Stephen G. Perkinson, Professor of Art History, will serve for two years as interim director of the Museum.
A highly regarded scholar of Medieval and Renaissance art of Northern Europe, Perkinson has published widely on topics ranging from manuscripts and sculpture to printmaking. He has published on topics ranging from the 13th to the 16th centuries. His 2009 study of the origins of portraiture (The Likeness of the King, Univ. of Chicago Press) was the recipient of the 2009 Morris D. Forkosch Prize for Best Book in Intellectual History.
Perkinson also brings a long and meaningful history with the BCMA, most recently as lead curator of Medieval Art from the Wyvern Collection: Global Networks and Creative Connections, which opened this fall. He also curated The Ivory Mirror: Art and Mortality in Renaissance Europe (2017), a major international loan exhibition that drew significant attention and praise, and has guided several student-curated exhibitions, including Displaying Devotion (2011) and Between the Lines: Trends in Early Modern Printmaking (2008).
In addition to his work at Bowdoin, Perkinson has contributed to exhibition catalogues for major museums, including Set in Stone: The Face in Medieval Art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006) and Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum, which traveled to multiple US venues, including the BCMA.
Through his work with the museum, Perkinson has consistently strengthened connections between exhibitions and teaching across the curriculum—organizing symposia, inviting guest speakers, and coordinating film series and performances in collaboration with colleagues across the College. He recently completed a term as president of the International Center of Medieval Art, the leading professional organization in the field.
We note with gratitude that Anne Collins Goodyear and Frank Goodyear will assist Perkinson during this transition as they conclude their service to the College on June 30, 2026.