Johnson Museum of Art

03/12/2026

Giving Day is here, and right now, you can DOUBLE your impact for art, for all, when you make a gift to the Johnson Museum of Art. 🙌

Thanks to Ronni Lacroute ’66 and a generous member of the Museum Advisory Council who are matching gifts up to $100,000, your generosity goes twice as far for K-12 learners, Cornellians, and everyone in our community—today only.

Click the link to make a gift while this 1:1 match is active! 🎨💙
https://givingday.cornell.edu/organizations/herbert-f-johnson-museum-of-art

02/19/2026

Free and open to all!

02/18/2026

Calling all quilters! The Johnson Museum is now accepting submissions for quilt blocks to be included in a community quilt in conjunction with a Summer 2026 exhibition. The final quilt will be on temporary display and become part of the Museum's permanent collection.

Sign up online at https://bit.ly/3LOVuFo and see more details below!

02/11/2026

A new student-led installation inspired by a Society for the Humanities - Cornell University seminar explores how tiny figures known as “staffage” indicate scale in paintings and also tell larger stories about the art. It’s on view now in the Richard Sukenik ’59 Teaching Gallery on Floor 2L.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art installation focuses on small figures in large landscapes 🖼🖌

The tiny figures in landscape paintings may be barely noticeable, but sometimes they reveal a deeper story about the scene or the person who created it.

A new student-led installation at the Johnson Museum of Art explores how the figures, known as “staffage,” indicate scale in paintings and also tell larger stories about the art.

In the tradition of European landscape painting, staffage figures “give the painting a sense of depth, but also a possibility of narrative, some kind of literary component,” said Benjamin Anderson, associate professor in the Department of History of Art and Visual Studies in the Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, who taught a fall 2025 Society for the Humanities seminar that inspired the installation.

“The general idea was that the entire painting was executed and then the staffage was added,” Anderson said. “In fact, some painters didn’t do their own staffage.”

More at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/02/museum-installation-focuses-small-figures-large-landscapes.

01/27/2026

Museum volunteers welcome our visitors as their first point of contact, providing information on exhibitions and events, guiding with directions, assisting with accessibility needs, and ensuring a positive museum experience for all. Training is provided, and a time commitment is required.

If you are interested in getting involved at the Johnson as part of our Visitor Services Volunteer Program, please visit our website and email Holly Smith to begin the conversation today: https://museum.cornell.edu/about/the-museum/

12/16/2025

We're looking for new volunteers to welcome our visitors as their first point of contact, providing information on exhibitions and events, guiding with directions, assisting with accessibility needs, and ensuring a positive museum experience for all.

If you are interested in getting involved as part of our Visitor Services Volunteer Program, please email Holly Smith at hw33 [at] cornell [dot] edu to begin the conversation today!

Training is provided, and a time commitment is required.

10/16/2025

Congratulations, Jessica!

We’re excited to announce that Dr. Jessica Levin Martinez, Richard J. Schwartz Director of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, has been appointed the next president and executive director of the Corning Museum of Glass by the museum’s Board of Trustees. Martinez will succeed Dr. Karol Wight, who announced her retirement in April 2025. Martinez will assume her role at CMoG on February 2, 2026. 
 
“It is an honor to be joining the Corning Museum as the next President and Executive Director in February,” said Martinez. “I am eager to continue growing CMoG’s reach alongside the Museum’s experienced and creative team.”  
 
Martinez joins CMoG at an exciting time, as the institution and its nearly 250-person staff prepare to celebrate a milestone anniversary. Over the past 75 years, the Museum has become the foremost authority on the art, history, and science of glass. The Museum has also become a hub for artistic innovation and education in glass, recently expanding its renowned Studio to partner with established artists on the creation of new work and offer more learning opportunities for students of all levels. 
 
Image: Courtesy of Devin Flores/Cornell University

09/11/2025

The 600-800 blocks of University Avenue from Lake St. to the Museum will be closed for road resurfacing beginning Friday, September 12 through Wednesday, September 17. Read more at 14850.com.

The City of Ithaca says the 600-800 blocks of University Avenue on Ithaca's east hill will be closed for road resurfacing beginning Friday, September 12 through Wednesday, September 17. They say the closure is "from Lake St. to Helbert F. Johnson Museum of Art" [sic]. [...]

09/05/2025

Admission is always free and open to all! Three new exhibitions starting Saturday, with three more on the way in September.

Bringing art and people together, since 1973. Admission is always free.

07/10/2025

Hear the latest from our director, Jessica Levin Martinez, next week as part of Cornell SCE free summer events on campus!
https://events.cornell.edu/event/behind-the-scenes-of-the-johnson-museum-of-art-a-lecture-presented-by-cornell-sce

Join us for free concerts on the Ag Quad and lectures in Warren B25 this summer starting July 9. Friday evening concerts begin at 7 pm on the Ag Quad and features Samite on July 11, the Caribe Jazz Allstars on July 18, the Gunpoets on July 25, and Maddy Walsh on August 1. Our Wednesday lectures this year include interesting discussions about AI, going behind the scenes at the Johnson Museum of Art, and a talk from beloved Cornell author, Diane Ackerman. Join us! Check out the line-up here: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/06/cornell-sce-offers-free-outdoor-concerts-lectures-summer

03/13/2025

Today is ! Your gift to the Johnson Museum of Art goes twice as far today to support teaching, learning, and creativity. 🎨✨

Share this post and help us spread the word! Every gift makes a difference: https://bit.ly/3VhwrgP

📽️ Watch our video to hear from Jessica Levin Martinez, the Richard J. Schwartz Director, about the incredible impact of annual fund dollars on Cornell students and our Museum community.