The UNH Study Collection, overseen by the Department of Art & Art History, includes over 2,000 historically and artistically significant objects in a range of mediums. A significant number of these objects were donated to the University throughout its history. The Study Collection is intended to serve as valuable resource for education and research for UNH faculty and students. We invite faculty to engage their students in experiential learning by exploring art from the Study Collection to support their courses or by selecting specific objects that enhance their curriculum.
For viewing or research inquiries, please contact Otto Luna (otto.luna@unh.edu) or Susan Wager (susan.wager@unh.edu).
Recent Additions
In recent years, the Study Collection has grown significantly with the addition of hundreds of contemporary and historic works of art. These pieces span various media, styles, perspectives, and artistic concerns, contributing to a dynamic and ever-evolving collection.
Paintings
The Study Collection currently contains over 200 paintings. Highlights include works by Boston Expressionists Hyman Bloom and Karl Zerbe, New Hampshire legend John Hatch, as well as regional painters such as Catherine Graffam and Melissa Miller.
Photographs
The Study Collection has over 400 photographs by renowned mid-20th-century American and European photographers. Artists include Lotte Jacobi, Gerda Peterich, Andy Warhol and Minor White.
Works on Paper
The Study Collection holds over 1,000 prints and drawings, including etchings by Goya and Rembrandt and engravings by Dürer. In 2013, 62 prints dedicated to 19th and 20th century works on paper were acquired thanks to a generous donation by Dr. Lawrence ’49, ’50G and Marilyn Staples ’48, featuring work by leading American, European, and South American artists such as Jean Arp, Pol Bury, Eduardo Chillida, Christo, Max Ernst, Hans Hartung, David Hockney, Roberto Matta, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Pierre Soulages, and Rufino Tamayo.
Japanese Prints
Japanese woodblock prints are easily recognized by their unique visual traits—sinuous lines, decorative patterns, rich color, and fine craftsmanship. Produced during Japan’s Edo period (1615—1868) and Meiji period (1868—1912), these prints are known as ukiyo-e, or ‘pictures of the floating world.’ Ukiyo-e prints are among the most revered and sought-after works of Japanese art, and UNH is extremely fortunate to have within its Study Collection almost two hundred Japanese woodblock prints.
Sculpture
Even with limited storage space, the Study Collection maintains an impressive selection of sculptures. Edwin Scheier and his wife, Mary, were the first to introduce sculpture, specifically ceramics, into the permanent collection in the 1960s, featuring work by Karl Drerup, Antonio Prieto, and Peter Voulkos. Since then, it has grown to include works by David Aronson, Wendell Castle, Robert Laurent, and Gary Haven Smith.
African Art
The African Art collection has been enriched by the intellectual curiosity and generosity of faculty and researchers. One scholar and intrepid traveler, Margaret Carson Hubbard, a highly regarded African specialist, collected and documented the use of utilitarian and ceremonial objects made in the 1930s by the Lozi people of Barotseland. Her gift to UNH continues to serve as the backbone of the collection.
