Franklin & Marshall College

Our Mission Statement

The purpose of the Phillips Museum of Art is to foster an understanding and appreciation of the arts, which include contemporary, historical, and multicultural materials.  In its essence, the mission of the Phillips Museum is three-fold and encompasses the following:

• Advancing the educational objectives of the college by presenting exhibitions and programs that support the curriculum, by acquisition of relevant objects and artworks, and by providing study and research opportunities for its faculty and students.
• Contributing to the cultural life of the Lancaster community and the greater south central Pennsylvania regions.
• Functioning as the steward of Franklin & Marshall College's permanent collection, and overseeing its management.

General Information

The Phillips Museum of Art at Franklin & Marshall College is a major cultural resource for the College and the community. The collections and exhibits reflect the College's aspiration toward excellence in the arts, mindful that such a reflection is essential to the success of any liberal arts college.

The museum presents visiting artists' exhibitions, curated, traveling and rotating exhibits from the College's extensive permanent collection. It also provides opportunities for research and study, as well as less-formal learning experiences for students, faculty and the Lancaster community.

The museum is located in the Steinman College Center, designed by internationally reknowned architect Minoru Yamasaki, most famous for his design of the World Trade Center in New York City.   Situated between the Ann and Richard Barshinger Center for the Musical Arts in Hensel Hall and the Roschel Center for the Performing Arts, the Phillips Museum is a key piece of F&M's arts quad.

The museum houses the Dana Gallery on the first floor and the Leonard and Mildred Rothman Gallery on the ground floor, together with the Sally Mather Gibson Curriculum Gallery on the bottom level.  The Phillips Museum and all of the galleries are environmentally controlled for the preservation and display of art, while the Curriculum Gallery provides additional spaces for art instruction.

Thomas and Virginia Phillips

The museum was made possible by a major gift from Thomas G. Phillips III '54 and his wife, Virginia. "We believe this museum will be a wonderful addition to the Lancaster and Central Pennsylvania communities," said Phillips, a College trustee. "It seems like a natural way in which to enhance the arts at Franklin & Marshall."

 

Phillips is a Philadelphia native and a resident of Lebanon, Pa.  He started his career as a salesman at New Penn Motor Express and rose to become the executive vice president and director of the company.  Later, he held a similar post for its holding company, Arnold Industries. In 1983, Phillips became president of Phillips Office Products Inc., a company with retail stores and sales offices throughout the Central Pennsylvania region. In addition to a history of generous support for Franklin & Marshall College, Phillips has had numerous civic affiliations in the Lancaster and Lebanon areas. Phillips and his wife, Virginia, have four children.

The Permanent Collection

 

As a liberal arts college with a long history and substantial tradition, Franklin & Marshall has acquired a significant collection of art. This art has come to the College through the generosity of alumni, faculty, Lancaster residents and other interested friends. The collection exemplifies a blend of academic training and folk tradition reflecting a regional as well as broader, cultural heritage. It includes:

• Works by academically trained painters such as Thomas Sully and Caroline Peart and early paintings by Benjamin West and Jacob Eichholtz
• Landscapes of Lloyd Mifflin and Thomas Moran
• Prints and photographs by 20th-century artists, including Keith Haring, Fritz Scholder, Robert Indiana, Chaim Gross, Elliot Erwitt, Manuel Bravo and Eliot Porter
• Significant European holdings, including works by Rembrandt, Goya, Cezanne and Dali

Learn about our collection and view object pictures via our online collections database available through F&M's  Scholars Square.