All questions welcome

The Yale University Art Gallery spans three buildings and features more than 4,000 works on display, a rooftop terrace, an outdoor sculpture garden, and a tea gate (an outdoor space offering quietude and tranquility within its wooden structure). Whether a visitor has one or multiple hours to explore the collections, the Gallery’s Visitor Services team welcomes all, providing directions, answering questions, and sharing their knowledge.

This team of two Visitor Services assistants, Michael Moore and Gaby Villanueva; several student workers; and their manager, Leonor Barroso, can be found at the Gallery’s Welcome Desk, situated in the lobby of the museum’s main entrance. At this bustling hub, they greet everyone warmly and guide them on the best route to take or objects to see, depending on time constraints or specific interests.

After an initial conversation to understand an individual’s or group’s preferences, the Visitor Services team members help them navigate the floorplan of collections spread across the museum’s complex that encompasses the Louis Kahn Building, Street Hall, and the Old Art Gallery Building.

“We are the first point of contact for most of our guests. We want everyone to feel welcomed,” said Barroso, director of Visitor Services. “Our team is here to help our guests make the most of their experience. Many of our visitors are surprised at the museum’s size and extensive collection. We greet many first-time visitors asking for guidance on where to start and what not to miss. We also answer many questions about Yale’s campus and downtown New Haven, including options for nearby shopping and dining.”

First of its kind

The Gallery, founded in 1832, is the oldest university art museum in the U.S. It showcases artworks from ancient times to the present, including treasures of American art, masks from West Africa, early Italian paintings, masterworks by Picasso, van Gogh, and Degas, textiles, furniture, ancient sculptures, and much more.

On average, about 230,000 people walk through the Gallery annually; on weekends, there are about 2,400 visitors. Busloads of elementary to high school-aged students from across Connecticut and the surrounding area come during the week for guided tours, and individuals from all over the world come to view the collections or study the buildings’ architecture—the modernist Kahn building and two neo-Gothic structures. Yale’s Commencement weekend, holidays, and summers are busy with families and tourists.

“What I love about my job is that every day is unique, and I learn so much from our guests. It’s fun when they come back to thank us and share their experience; that makes it extra special for us,” said Moore.

“Being a welcoming place and a resource to the community regardless of language barriers as well as other barriers is so important. We want to ensure all our visitors feel welcome and more at ease no matter what,” added Villanueva. “I speak Spanish and seeing the visible relief on visitors’ faces when they realize they do not have to struggle and can ask questions is deeply important to me.”

In addition to the permanent collections, the Gallery has special exhibitions, programs, and events year-round. As these shift and change, the Visitor Services team will do a walk-through with a curator, enabling them to capture the exhibition’s highlights that they can share with guests. They also research information about objects through the Gallery’s website and the university’s online cross-collection search tool LUX, which provides access to more than 17 million items from Yale’s museums, libraries, and archives.

Questions welcome at any time

“As Visitor Services, we inform guests about what’s on view in our permanent collection and Special Exhibitions. We let them know about programs, tours, and special events. We assist with self-guided groups, and anybody who appears to need general guidance,” said Barroso.

Even as guests wander through the galleries, the team may be called via the two-way radio system with an inquiry. “Visitors often approach a security guard asking about a particular object. The guards know to radio us, and we can offer guidance or answer specific questions. There are so many items on view that we can’t speak to each object, but we do our best to answer whatever questions come our way,” said Barroso.

If visitors have limited time, the special exhibitions on the top floor are a good starting point. Many guests end their visit with a stop at the Gallery’s Museum Store, which is also run by the Visitor Services team. The store offers publications published by the Gallery, notecards, puzzles, apparel, and journals custom made to represent the Gallery’s collections.

Something for everyone

“We have something for everyone to enjoy — paintings, sculptures, photography, ceramics, prints, drawings, textiles, and an extensive collection of decorative arts. Some visitors want to view iconic works like the van Goghs, Picassos, Pollocks, Hoppers, and Rothkos, or unique installations like Dura-Europos,” said Barroso. “Others appreciate the wide array of Asian ceramics across cultures or the masterworks of Yoruba sculptors in our African gallery. Our temporary installations and special exhibitions are also great opportunities to see things that may not always be on view, including Hokusai’s ‘Beneath the Waves off Kanagawa.’”

If you’ve never been to the Gallery or haven’t been in a while, it’s worth the trip. It is open six days a week and has no entry fee. Not sure what to see first? Or what not to miss? This perennially upbeat, incredibly helpful team will gladly guide everyone to make the most of their visit.