The exhibition celebrates the lifelong dedication of David P. Becker, class of 1970, to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Becker engaged with the Museum, and with the College, in many capacities ranging from Museum intern, curator, and adviser to trustee and benefactor. From his freshman year to his untimely death in 2010, Becker was enamored with the collections of prints, drawings, and illustrated books at Bowdoin. It became one of the passions of his adult life to research this resource and to add numerous strategic donations. His recent bequest of many hundreds of prints combined with the earlier gifts is surveyed here for the first time.

The collection was built with the understanding that prints are a primary resource for the history of art. Whether created by Albrecht Dürer from Nuremberg, Odilon Redon from Paris, or by a contemporary printmaker associated with the Vinalhaven Press, prints are an accurate expression of an artistic vision. For David Becker “the Bowdoin collection was my first professor, collection, and laboratory for learning about prints and drawings.” The exhibition is an invitation to follow his advice: “Just keep looking; look, look, look, look, and look some more.”

This symposium is presented in conjunction with the exhibition. Speakers will introduce aspects of the printmaking tradition that exemplify the joys and rewards of close looking and in-depth study. Printmaking ABC comprises masterly prints from Albrecht Durer and Rembrandt to David Hockney and Mel Chin and is drawn from the collection of 1,500 works of art given and bequeathed to Bowdoin by David Becker, Class of 1970. David Becker, scholar, collector, and educator, is remembered at Bowdoin as a trustee, quiet philanthropist, and advocate for the Museum of Art.

Followed by an Open House at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.