White walled gallery with several framed artworks and a video screen. There is a bench at the far end and a pedestal with an artwork in the center of the room. Through a doorway a glimpse of another gallery is visible.

Focus Gallery

The Focus Gallery, a compact space of just over 200 square feet, is primarily dedicated to the popular "Common Reading" exhibition, which supports the University’s "Common Reading" academic program. Serving as a key academic resource throughout much of the academic year, this gallery also hosts smaller topical exhibitions, offering a focused environment for exploring specific themes and educational topics.

A grid of colorful squares, each containing a black and white portrait of an African American actor, arranged in a vibrant, pop-art style mosaic.

Common Seeing LOOK. Listen. Learn. Act.

Focus Gallery

January 9, 2021

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June 14, 2021

A close-up photograph of a person's hand pointing towards a lizard on a rock, with a clear blue sky in the background.

Every Word was Once an Animal

Focus Gallery

March 7, 2020

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November 29, 2020

A vibrant painted box featuring a scene of a person in a pink shirt and headband holding grapes and herbs, set against a backdrop of hills, a river, and a bright sun. The box's sides are adorned with grapevines, cornstalks, and decorative patterns.

Resistance as Power A Curatorial Response to "Under the Feet of Jesus"

Focus Gallery

September 7, 2019

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February 23, 2020

Black and white photograph of a man with glasses, deep in thought, sitting at a desk with bookshelves in the background.

Herman Brookman: Visualizing the Sacred

Focus Gallery

February 21, 2018

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August 5, 2018

A sepia-toned print of a person in traditional attire, draped in animal pelts, sitting against a patterned background. The detailed textures and the subject's expression convey a sense of history and culture.

Conversations in the Round House Roots, Roads, and Remembrances

Focus Gallery

September 9, 2017

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February 11, 2018

Three-legged wooden chair with a person’s head carved on top and a smaller wooden sculpture shaped like a snowman with fabric strips cinched between the bottom and second spheres balanced on the chair’s seat

Art from Tanzania Art from Tanzania

Focus Gallery

March 18, 2017

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August 6, 2017

Black and white neon light display spelling America twice: right side up and upside down. It is mounted on a wall with visible electrical wires.

Between the World and Me African American Artists Respond to Ta-Nehisi Coates

Focus Gallery

September 3, 2016

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March 5, 2017

A blurry, enlarged photograph of a hand reaching upwards, displayed across two pages. The out-of-focus effect gives the image an ethereal and mysterious quality.

Call and Response

Focus Gallery

February 20, 2016

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August 21, 2016

Title page of Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies with an engraving of Shakespeare.

First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare, on tour from the Folger Shakespeare Library

Focus Gallery

January 6, 2016

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February 7, 2016

Three women with haggard expressions and wearing headscarves look intently at a crescent moon face in a dark, cloudy sky. The scene has a mystical and eerie atmosphere.

Contemplation & Confrontation The Satirical Print in Europe, 1750–1850

Focus Gallery

August 29, 2015

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December 27, 2015