Because the Harvard Art Museums are temporarily closed to the public as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, access to the Art Study Center is limited to Harvard faculty at this time. Beginning on October 13, 2020, Harvard faculty should use the form below to request an appointment. Appointments will be available Monday through Thursday between 10am and 3pm. Two weeks’ notice is required for scheduling. Visits will be limited in duration in order to observe health and safety measures. Specific protocols and procedures will be shared prior to any appointments. Object handling may not be available and/or restricted at this time. Harvard University continues to monitor the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and prioritize the safety of our visitors, staff, students, and volunteers. Please review the University’s latest policies and procedures.

Unique in size and scope among North American museums, the expansive Art Study Center allows visitors to request objects not currently on display in the galleries, facilitating self-directed teaching and learning from works in all media. Visitors can study John Singer Sargent’s working process as documented in his drawings, marvel at a ceramic drinking vessel from ancient Greece, or learn about early photographic processes by examining a nineteenth-century daguerreotype.

Housed under the museums’ glass rooftop, this space receives controlled natural light—ideal for the kind of close looking that happens here. With individual centers dedicated to each of the three museums (Fogg Museum, Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Arthur M. Sackler Museum) and four seminar rooms, the Art Study Center encourages extended interactions with original works of art.

In addition to providing access to the museums’ collections, the Art Study Center is also a venue where visitors can call upon the expertise of the museums’ curators, conservators, and educators.