Harry Wood Gallery

The ASU Herberger College School of Art Harry Wood Gallery was named after Harry Wood (1910-1995), Emeritus Professor and former chair of the then Department of Art. The gallery was established in 1971.

The purpose of the gallery is to provide students, faculty and academic professionals of the School of Art with exhibition space that serves the needs of the school. In accord with the overall objectives of Arizona State University, the gallery supports the research, teaching and public service functions of the school.

Specifically, the gallery is first a venue for Master of Fine Arts thesis exhibitions in the School of Art. These exhibits represent one of the requirements for the fulfillment of the MFA degree under School of Art and Graduate College procedures. Exhibitions commonly held on an annual basis are scholarship exhibitions and include Nathan Cummings Foundation Summer Travel Awards, J. Russell and Bonita Nelson Scholarship Endowment and the Arizona Designer Craftsmen Rudy Turk Award for Excellence in Craft Exhibition.

Other annual exhibitions held in this space include Juried Undergraduate Exhibition, New Graduate Student Exhibition and Annual Summer MFA Exhibition. Other exhibitions that may occur when the schedule permits include didactic exhibits mounted by areas of the school, alumni or current student exhibitions, faculty, especially new faculty, exhibitions, exhibitions organized in cooperation with campus galleries, conference organizers or other fine art organizations such as local collections or other universities and traveling or exchange exhibits from peer institutions.

In recognition of the primary function of the gallery as an academic and teaching tool of the School of Art, the selection of exhibitions will necessarily, over time, include content not appreciated or understood by all viewers and visitors. Knowing that learning can take place under many conditions and with many varying examples and the presence of a diverse, highly-regarded faculty can facilitate learning in situations where questions arise, a diversity of content is sought and controversy is not avoided if educational value can be demonstrated.

The gallery is operated by student internships and/or a gallery practices class under the direction of a School or Art faculty or academic professional. The School of Art director appoints the Harry Wood Gallery director upon recommendation of the gallery and exhibitions committee. The term of office is open-ended. The MFA thesis exhibitions are organized and scheduled according to procedures established by the graduate studio committee. All other exhibitions are subject to application to and approval from the gallery director and the gallery and exhibitions committee.