A visitor sits with a sketchbook in hand, looking closely at an Ancient vessel on a pedestal. Sunlight fills the gallery, shining through large windows that line the wall in the background.

About

Activating the power of art to inspire and to create a more inclusive world.

Our Mission

The Yale University Art Gallery collects, preserves, studies, and presents art in all media, from all regions of the globe and across time. The museum’s exceptional collection—numbering over 300,000 objects—is the core of its identity. It sustains and catalyzes all we do.

Founded in 1832, the Gallery is the oldest university art museum in America. Today, it is a center for teaching, learning, and scholarship and is a preeminent cultural asset for Yale University, the wider academic community, and the public. The museum is open to all, free of charge, and is committed to engaging audiences through thoughtful, creative, and relevant exhibitions, programs, and publications.

Read a message from Gallery director Stephanie Wiles

Two visitors stand in the foreground of a blue-walled gallery filled with paintings, in conversation looking at a work of art. In the background sit two visitors facing paintings on the wall.

Strategic Plan

New Voices, New Perspectives

Beginning in 2020, the Gallery’s staff reflected together on our remarkable past and our exciting future. We set goals to strengthen our work over the next five years, guided by the values of commitment, inclusivity, integrity, innovation, and preservation.

Read a summary of our 2021–26 strategic plan

Learn about our commitment to diversity and inclusion

Outdoors, many people sit at a long table covered in bright pink fabric. The people are sewing smaller geometric shapes to the pink cloth. Passersby walk alongside the participants on the sidewalk.

Views of the Gallery

Two people sit on steps in a round stairwell with large sketchbooks in hand. Two people in conversation are standing in a dark-walled gallery with early Italian panel paintings on the wall. Two visitors walk outside on the Sculpture Terrace. One visitor looks at a linear sculpture in the foreground. Beyond the wall of the terrace is a city skyline and blue sky with clouds. Young boy and his family work on art-making activities during a visit to the Gallery. Couple in front of Monet's landscape painting of Port-Domois, Belle-Isle, with man taking a photo of the work. A man and child sit together on a bench in a gallery filled with paintings. The two are in conversation with their backs to the camera. Two visitors sit back-to-back in the African Gallery. One person faces a three-dimensional object and describes it to the other who is listening with a sketchbook and pencil in hand. A young child stands in a gallery holding paper view finder while a woman kneels beside him, guiding his hands. A young child stands in a gallery of sculptures with a sketchbook in hand. The child looks intently at a tower-like object along with the adult beside him. A group of people descend a staircase toward the Robert L. McNeil, JR. Lecture Hall A large group of people sit outdoors under an elm tree with the facade of the museum in the background. The visitors face four performing musicians. A group of visitors stand side by side with their backs to the viewer. The people are looking at a large golden, reflective art object on the wall. A birds-eye view of a triangular staircase in a round stairwell. Two visitors sit on a bench in a sculpture gallery filled with natural daylight. The visitor in profile sits cross-legged with a sketchbook in hand. The other visitor sits with their back to the viewer. Decorative People walking to the entrance of a building on a sunny, summer day A group of people stand around a large table with many colorful posters laid on top. In the distance are rows of glass shelves with object on them. A birds-eye view of a staircase with a wrought-iron railing and three people ascending. Large windows with columns in between run alongside the stairs. Many people sit at a long table holding magnifying glasses while looking closely at coins and medals. One person stands, talking to the seated people. In the background are large windows and bookshelves that line the walls. Two people look at display of shadow puppets in a gallery of art objects. Many visitors walk and sit in a red-walled gallery of landscape paintings and a white figurative sculpture. Two people in a brown-walled gallery filled with ancient art objects on the wall. One person sits with a sketchbook while the other stands looking at objects on the wall. A bench in the foreground has bags on it that read "Yale University Art Gallery".
  • Two people sit on steps in a round stairwell with large sketchbooks in hand.
  • Two people in conversation are standing in a dark-walled gallery with early Italian panel paintings on the wall.
  • Two visitors walk outside on the Sculpture Terrace. One visitor looks at a linear sculpture in the foreground. Beyond the wall of the terrace is a city skyline and blue sky with clouds.
  • Young boy and his family work on art-making activities during a visit to the Gallery.
  • Couple in front of Monet's landscape painting of Port-Domois, Belle-Isle, with man taking a photo of the work.
  • A man and child sit together on a bench in a gallery filled with paintings. The two are in conversation with their backs to the camera.
  • Two visitors sit back-to-back in the African Gallery. One person faces a three-dimensional object and describes it to the other who is listening with a sketchbook and pencil in hand.
  • A young child stands in a gallery holding paper view finder while a woman kneels beside him, guiding his hands.
  • A young child stands in a gallery of sculptures with a sketchbook in hand. The child looks intently at a tower-like object along with the adult beside him.
  • A group of people descend a staircase toward the Robert L. McNeil, JR. Lecture Hall
  • A large group of people sit outdoors under an elm tree with the facade of the museum in the background. The visitors face four performing musicians.
  • A group of visitors stand side by side with their backs to the viewer. The people are looking at a large golden, reflective art object on the wall.
  • A birds-eye view of a triangular staircase in a round stairwell.
  • Two visitors sit on a bench in a sculpture gallery filled with natural daylight. The visitor in profile sits cross-legged with a sketchbook in hand. The other visitor sits with their back to the viewer.

  • Art making as part of Yale’s Pathways to Arts and Humanities Summer Scholars Program, 2023

  • Decorative
  • People walking to the entrance of a building on a sunny, summer day
  • A group of people stand around a large table with many colorful posters laid on top. In the distance are rows of glass shelves with object on them.
  • A birds-eye view of a staircase with a wrought-iron railing and three people ascending. Large windows with columns in between run alongside the stairs.
  • Many people sit at a long table holding magnifying glasses while looking closely at coins and medals. One person stands, talking to the seated people. In the background are large windows and bookshelves that line the walls.
  • Two people look at display of shadow puppets in a gallery of art objects.
  • Many visitors walk and sit in a red-walled gallery of landscape paintings and a white figurative sculpture.
  • Two people in a brown-walled gallery filled with ancient art objects on the wall. One person sits with a sketchbook while the other stands looking at objects on the wall. A bench in the foreground has bags on it that read "Yale University Art Gallery".

Annual Reports

2018–2023

Related Content

  • Director’s Letter

    Read a message from Stephanie Wiles, the Henry J. Heinz II Director.

  • A child kneels in a Modern and Contemporary Gallery, facing an art object with a sketchbook propped on their knee.

    Visit

    The Gallery is free and open to the public from Tuesday through Sunday.

  • Exterior view of the three buildings that contain the museum's collection.

    Architecture

    Learn about the three historic buildings, designed by four architects, that house the Gallery’s collection.

  • Objects displayed in tall, glass cases at the Wurtele Study Center.

    Wurtele Study Center

    A state-of-the-art educational and research facility that offers access to over 42,000 objects in the collection.