January 21, 2026

ArtCenter College of Design Receives Terra Foundation for American Art Grant to Support Major Exhibition on Dorr Bothwell

PRESS RELEASE

PASADENA, CA — ArtCenter College of Design has received a $77,000 grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art in support of its upcoming exhibition, Dorr Bothwell: In Her Mind’s Eye. The grant will help fund exhibition development, presentation and related scholarly work for the first full survey of the artist’s work, opening October 15, 2026 at the College’s Williamson Gallery on its Hillside Campus.

Dorr Bothwell: In Her Mind’s Eye examines the life and work of Dorr Bothwell (1902–2000), a California-born artist underrecognized for her role in shaping West Coast Surrealism. As the first full survey of her work, the exhibition presents paintings, works on paper, and ceramics spanning the 1930s to the 1980s. The project highlights her early narrative and dreamlike paintings alongside later, increasingly abstract works, including a robust series of screen prints inspired by the Western landscape.

The project marks the fruition of nearly 20 years of research by curators Julie Joyce, Director of ArtCenter Galleries, and Mary-Kay Lombino, Deputy Director of the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College. Following its presentation at ArtCenter, the exhibition will travel to the Loeb at Vassar in summer 2027.

“We are grateful for the Terra Foundation’s generous support for this important exhibition,” said Julie Joyce, VP, Exhibitions and Director, ArtCenter Galleries. “This grant enables us to broaden the conversation and raise awareness of Dorr Bothwell’s contributions to the development of American art, and to share her work with a wider audience.”

Support from the Terra Foundation underscores the exhibition’s role in expanding narratives of American art and reassessing the work of artists who have been historically overlooked.

About the Terra Foundation for American Art
The Terra Foundation for American Art expands narratives of American art through our grants, collection, and initiatives. With offices in Chicago and Paris, we work with organizations to foster intercultural dialogues and encourage transformative practices, locally and globally.

About ArtCenter College of Design
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education. With a mission to educate, inspire and empower creative and design leadership, the College is renowned for its undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning industrial design, media and technology, as well as visual and applied arts. With deep industry relationships, state-of-the-art facilities and a strong faculty roster, ArtCenter provides real-world experience aligned with industry needs. Through rigorous, hands-on, practitioner-led instruction, the College prepares students for meaningful creative careers. For nearly 100 years, ArtCenter alumni and faculty have shaped many of the world’s most iconic products, vehicles, campaigns and creative works, leaving a lasting impact across art, design and culture.

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Media Contact
ArtCenter College of Design
Domenic Morea
Domenic.Morea@artcenter.edu