Kirby Art Study Center

The Kirby Art Study Center is Lafayette College’s premier space for intimate encounters with art, providing students, faculty, and researchers a tranquil environment designed for quiet reflection and deep study. This carefully curated space invites visitors to slow down and engage meaningfully with original artworks, fostering an atmosphere that encourages contemplation and discovery. The Lafayette Art Collection is focused on three themes: Lafayette the person, Lafayette the college, and Easton, PA.

Individual Study & Quiet Reflection

The Center offers an ideal setting for personal and meditative engagement with art. Away from the hustle and bustle of campus life, visitors can spend extended time with individual pieces, enhancing their visual literacy and personal responses to art in a peaceful, focused environment. The space supports sustained observation and reflection, allowing for the deep analysis that can transform understanding and appreciation.

Small Group Discussions & Research

In addition to individual study, the Center accommodates intimate seminars and research discussions, particularly those focused on material culture studies. Faculty and students can gather in small groups to examine artworks firsthand, discussing techniques, historical contexts, provenance, and cultural significance while having direct access to the objects themselves. These close-quarters discussions promote collaborative learning and enable detailed analysis that can only occur in the presence of original works. Guided visits may be arranged in advance.

State-of-the-Art Viewable Storage

The Center also features advanced viewable storage facilities that redefine traditional art storage, creating an active research and display environment. These climate-controlled, museum-standard systems ensure the proper preservation of Lafayette’s growing art collections while making previously inaccessible works readily available for study and viewing. The innovative storage design allows for easy access while maintaining conservation standards, facilitating both serendipitous discovery and systematic research.

As Curator Emeritus Michiko Okaya noted, “For artwork that had previously been stored in difficult-to-access locations on campus, the Kirby Art Study Center provides a modern museum-standard environment for the care, display, and study of our growing art collections.”

Ready to visit? We would love to have you! The Center is open every Thursday and Friday from 12 PM to 4 PM—just drop by. If these times don’t fit your schedule, don’t worry! We are happy to arrange appointments for individuals or groups. Email us at artgallery@lafayette.edu and let us know what you’re interested in exploring. Whether you have a specific research question or simply want to spend some peaceful time with art, we’ll ensure you have everything you need for a wonderful visit.