Reimagining American Art on the Global Stage

Bob Keyes, Colby News, October 15, 2026

An international cohort of art historians, museum directors, curators, and students gathered at Colby in early October to further explore a question they’ve discussed for two years.

What is the state of American art?

“What emerges, of course, is not a singular answer, but a set of partial responses that in turn ignite further questions and reflections,” said Jacqueline Terrassa, the Carolyn Muzzy Director of the Colby College Museum of Art. “Much has changed in the world and in the field, even within the last two years. All of that reflects not only how we think about American art, but even how we think about the idea of America.”