In fall 2027, the MFA hosts the first exhibition in the United States to focus on the portraiture of French Impressionist Edgar Degas. Join Katie Hanson, William and Ann Elfers Curator of Paintings, for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of the landmark exhibition. Look closely at the artist’s portraits with Katie and learn what makes them so distinctive.

Katie Hanson, William and Ann Elfers Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe

The MFA’s superb collection of Indian art includes many unfinished works, providing unique insight into the creative process of “miniature” painters—including sketching a composition, making minute corrections, and adding layers of brilliant color. Explore works on paper by Indian artists with Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, and Michiko Adachi, Bettina Burr Associate Conservator, Asian Conservation. Enjoy the opportunity to study the works as if you are an apprentice in a painting workshop and get a look into the minds, materials, and methods of India’s premodern painters.

Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art
Michiko Adachi, Bettina Burr Associate Conservator, Asian Conservation

Be among the first to preview a new installation of paintings in the Joyce and Edward Linde Gallery, which is dedicated to folk art. Elizabeth Driscoll Smith, Joyce Linde Assistant Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art, guides you through close looking and discussion of 19th-century folk art landscapes and what they reveal about artistic training, regional industries, and histories of collecting.

Elizabeth Driscoll Smith, Joyce Linde Assistant Curator of Folk and Self-Taught Art, Art of the Americas

In 2018 the MFA received the largest donation of Chinese paintings and calligraphy in the Museum’s history: the Wan-go H. C. Weng Collection, comprising 183 objects acquired by and passed down through six generations of a single family. Learn from Alan Yeung, Zhou Family Curator of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy, and Joy Xiao Chen, curatorial research associate, about Mr. Weng’s storied life as a collector, scholar, and artist, as well as the Museum’s recent efforts in documenting and showcasing his extraordinary collection.

Alan Yeung, Zhou Family Curator of Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy
Joy Xiao Chen, Curatorial Research Associate, Chinese Paintings and Calligraphy

How did key gifts of 20th-century art inform the MFA’s new modern galleries? Join Claire Howard, Hansjörg Wyss Curator of Modern Art, for close looking at works by Paul Delvaux, Marie Laurencin, Roberto Matta, and Piet Mondrian in the recently opened Rosamund Zander and Hansjörg Wyss Galleries. Learn how these historic gifts—spanning 75 years—helped define the Museum’s modern art collection and continue to shape its future.

Claire Howard, Hansjörg Wyss Curator of Modern Art

Collections Management staff pull back the curtain on gallery spaces that are currently closed to the public and dive into the important work that goes on in these areas every day. Start in gallery 209 to see colossal Egyptian sculptures undergoing preparation for the upcoming special exhibition “Maverick Kings: Three Visionary Pharaohs of Egypt’s Golden Age.” Then head into gallery 285 to observe the MFA’s transit storage area. Learn how objects are packed and moved between the MFA’s off-site location and the main building on Huntington Avenue, see artwork that has not been on view for years, and gain a greater understanding of the backstage work that keeps the Museum running.

Jill Kennedy-Kernohan, Senior Director of Registration and Collections
Meghan Anderson, Senior Collections Manager