Join us for our annual lectures series, Distinctive Voices in American Art, and the Permanent Collection Lecture. These will feature exciting and innovative insights into both the wider art world and OMAA’s own collection.
2026 Annual Lectures:
The Permanent Collection Lecture: Dr. Devon Zimmerman, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
Wednesday, September 16, 5-7pm at The Ogunquit Museum of American Art.
Devon Zimmerman is Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, where his research focuses on the transatlantic networks that shaped modernism in art and design. Previously, he held positions at the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and had curated exhibitions including Deconstructing Power: W.E.B. Du Bois at the 1900 World’s Fair, Lee Krasner: Geometries of Expression, and Nicole Wittenberg: A Sailboat in the Moonlight. Distinctive Voices in American Art: An Evening with Lisa Philips
Tuesday, July 28, 5-9pm at the York Harbor Reading Room.
The Ogunquit Museum of American Art is proud to announce the second installment of its lecture series Distinctive Voices in American Art. Our 2026 speaker is Lisa Phillips, Director Emerita and former Toby Devan Lewis Director of the New Museum in New York City. Phillips led the institution for 27 years from 1999 until her retirement in April 2026.
Distinctive Voices underscores OMAA’s commitment to welcoming leading figures in American art for timely conversations about the vital role art plays in shaping today’s cultural landscape. This year, the program has grown into a more expansive evening, featuring a cocktail reception, formal lecture by Phillips, and a seated dinner, all hosted at the beautiful York Harbor Reading Room. Now offered as a ticketed event to our Leadership Circle members, Distinctive Voices in American Art will raise essential, unrestricted annual support for the Museum, helping us to better fulfill our mission. For more information, please contact Delaney Burns-Fumagalli at dburns@ogunquitmuseum.org.
This series is made possible through the generous support of our Evening’s Hosts: Carol & Noel Leary, and Philip Lovejoy & James Moses
2025 Lectures:
The Permanent Collection Lecture: Dr. Devon Zimmerman, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
Tuesday, October 14, 5-7pm. For the inaugural annual lecture on the permanent collection, Dr. Devon Zimmerman, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will explore the life and artistic contributions of the museum’s founder, in dialogue with the current exhibition, Henry Strater’s Ogunquit.
The Distinctive Voices in American Art Lecture: David Breslin, the Leonard A. Lauder Curator in Charge of the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art Presents “Who Cares About American Art?”
Friday, June 27, 5-7pm. Breslin will reflect on the evolving role of American art in today’s cultural landscape, drawing from his curatorial experiences at both The Met and the Whitney Museum of American Art, where he previously served as the DeMartini Family Curator and Director of Curatorial Initiatives. In his career, Breslin has been a leading voice in how institutions engage with artists and audiences, notably helping to establish the Whitney’s Indigenous Artists Working Group. His lecture will open a new platform at OMAA for critical dialogue around the purpose, relevance, and future of American art.
The inaugural Distinctive Voices in American Art lecture is made possible with generous support from Carol and Noel Leary.
