The Everson’s permanent collection primarily focuses on American modern and contemporary art and encompasses approximately 11,000 works, including paintings, ceramics, sculpture, videos, photographs, works on paper, and decorative arts. Core collections include ceramics and video art.
The Everson provides dynamic and meaningful encounters with modern and contemporary American art through its collections. As such, the Museum acquires works that engage diverse communities, inspire curiosity and lifelong learning, and encourage community-wide conversations that promote a more vital and inclusive society. Whether generous gifts from donors and artists or purchases using the Museum’s dedicated acquisition funds, new acquisitions represent the Everson’s long-standing commitment to collecting, exhibiting, and interpreting the best of modern and contemporary American art.
Currently one of the largest holdings of American ceramics in the nation, the Everson’s collection can be attributed to the decisions made by Carter in the early 20th century. After the initial purchase of Adelaide Alsop Robineau porcelains in 1916, the Everson acquired more of her artworks. Then, in 1932, the Ceramic National exhibitions were established by Anna Wetherill Olmsted at the Museum in Robineau’s memory.
One of the Everson’s primary collections is of American paintings, with nearly 700 artworks that span two centuries. The Everson’s sculpture collection comprises more than 200 works primarily of the 20th century.
The Everson collection of photography and works on paper include more than 450 photographs that provide an overview of artistic and technical developments during the 20th century. Works on Paper include approximately 600 examples from 19th and 20th century art movements.
Video art emerged during the late 1960s and 1970s, at which time the Everson avidly began a video collection. Today, the museum maintains one of the earliest and most comprehensive collections of art videos of the period.
Planted November 2016
In partnership with Syracuse University’s Connective Corridor, the Everson Museum of Art is excited to present the Tree of 40 Fruit, part of an ongoing series of hybridized fruit trees by contemporary artist Sam Van Aken. Each unique tree grows more than forty different types of stone fruit including peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, and almonds.
Selected materials from the Everson’s archives are digitized and available through the New York Heritage website.