Online Collection

The University Galleries’ permanent collection dates back to the founding of the institution in 1855 and currently consists of approximately 3,500 objects ranging from African and Oceanic ethnographic objects to 19th century American paintings, contemporary prints, artists’ books, and outdoor sculpture. The permanent collection is a unique resource for study and exhibition within and beyond campus. This online catalog is a work in progress and will be regularly updated in order to provide increasing accessibility to our collection.

The permanent collection is a unique resource for study and exhibition within and beyond campus, and you can peruse items using the Objects tab. You can also explore exhibition catalogues from our institutional archival collection in the Archives tab. This online catalog is a work in progress and will be regularly updated in order to provide increasing accessibility to our collections.

The University Galleries welcomes and encourages research requests to make use of our permanent collection. To request an image or schedule an appointment to view objects from our collection, please contact Casey Mathern, Collections Manager, at mathernc@wpunj.edu or (973) 720-3283. For more information about the University Galleries, please visit: https://www.wpunj.edu/coac/gallery/collections.html

Tips for Searching

The Random Images tab is a great way to just browse the collection. Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.

The Archives tab will take you to the University Galleries’ archive of exhibition catalogues that were published in-house over the past forty years to document the work of local and international artists that was exhibited at the William Paterson University Galleries.

The Objects tab will allow you to browse items from our permanent collection of fine art and material culture.