The Wellin Museum is included in a new publication titled Advancing Engagement: A Handbook for Academic Museums Vol.3, released through the independent publishing house MuseumEtc. This 400-page book includes essays from institutional peers such as the Ashmolean Museum at Oberlin College, the Williams College Museum of Art, among other notable establishments. Wellin Museum Director Tracy L. Adler as well as Associate Director and Senior Curator of Collections Susanna White contributed an essay titled “Embracing Tradition while Forging an Innovative Path: The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College."
The essay focuses on the philosophical significance of establishing a contemporary art museum on a campus that is over 200 years old. The book is designed to be a practical resource for museum’s to reflect on their own institutions, its programs, challenges and opportunities. It also outlines our mission at Wellin, which is to "become intrinsic to the educational foundation of the Hamilton College community, to provide new opportunities and become a vital resource for education in the region, and to be part of the scholarly dialogue within the international art and academic worlds." Embracing tradition while forging something new, the Wellin Museum offers visitors rare opportunities not available elsewhere. Through our collections and our unique forum for display and access, we have found new audiences and provided unprecedented access to art and objects. Through our exhibition program, we have given artists, faculty, and students the opportunity to present innovative, pioneering work. What is the museum of the future? Although we never intend to answer that question at the Wellin, we do plan to continually ask it as a challenge, a mantra, and an open-ended impetus for exploring the possibilities and potential of our teaching museum.