The University Gallery is a contemporary art gallery that serves the Art & Design Department, the University of Massachusetts Lowell, as well as the city of Lowell and the greater Merrimack Valley Region. The gallery hosts 4-6 major exhibitions each year, including the biannual B.F.A. show featuring the senior projects from the Art & Design studios. From emerging artists to seasoned practitioners with national and international reputations, the University Gallery's exhibition program showcases a broad variety of artistic approaches, media and content reflecting the curricula of the Art & Design program and enhancing the cultural environment of the community and surrounding area.

The University Gallery is located on the 1st floor of Mahoney Hall at 870 Broadway Street, Lowell, Mass.

Gallery Exhibitions: Admission is free and opening receptions usually include a lecture by the curator or exhibiting artist.

Current Exhibit

Collage of faculty work showing illustration of animals, digital illustration of abstract animals, watercolor of butterflies and birds, comic strip, and fine art painting


Rather Louder Than Allowed

UMass Lowell Art & Design Faculty Exhibition

February 1 – March 11, 2023
Reception Thursday, February 9 from 6-7:30 p.m.

The UMass Lowell Department of Art & Design is honored to present Rather Louder Than Allowed, an exhibition of artwork by Art & Design faculty. This exhibition will be open from February 1 – March 11, 2023 in the University Gallery at 870 Broadway Street in Lowell, MA. All are welcome to a celebratory reception on Thursday, February 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Participating artists are:

Pouya Afshar, Meghan Ambra, Caitlin & Misha (Caitlin Foley and Misha Rabinovich), Padmini Chandrasekaran, Dan Frank, Ingrid Hess, Regina Milan, Stephen Mishol, Yuko Oda, Samnang Riebe, Karen E. Roehr, Josh Rondeau, Pavel Romaniko, Melissa Schrenker, Wen-hao Tien, and Ellen Wetmore.

Rather Louder Than Aloud* — this is what artists and designers do. We use all the tricks in our considerable treasure chests and archives to garner your attention and hold it. We are louder than is, strictly speaking, reputable or respectable. Whether the artist/designer makes the work big, red, or shiny, or they take a different route and entice your line of sight with delicate undulating lines of data, they are transmitting information to some of our most powerful senses, especially sight but also sound and even touch. More than transmitting, they are sending a message with the hopes of sparking changes large and small in the continuum of our lives. They are rather louder than is, generally speaking, allowed.

Our faculty have won far too many awards to mention here. They make artworks and designs that represent the full spectrum of technology available to contemporary makers - from intricately detailed botanical watercolors, to interactive games and installations that incorporate microbiomes and data visualization. They make award winning films, documentaries, children’s books, graphic novels, package designs, comics, paintings, sculptures, and installations. They exhibit internationally, assign meaning to undefined things, and travel far and wide to both gather and disseminate information and inspiration. Most importantly, they share their many talents and their wisdom to train twenty-first century artists and designers in the fields of Animation and Interactive Media, Graphic Design, and Studio Art at UMass Lowell.

* The title for this exhibition was inspired by Design faculty Padmini Chandrasekan, whose cards donated for a pre-pandemic Arts Research Collaborative fundraiser provided color and inspiration in dark times.
  • Mass Cultural Council logo

    The University Gallery is supported in part by a grant from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

    • Monday - Wednesday and Friday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
    • Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
    • Saturday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
    • Appointments recommended, call 978-934-3494.

    Closed during school breaks.

    Please contact us for more information.

    The University Gallery is accessible to all. Gallery events are free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Wilder Metered Lot, located at the intersection of Wilder Street and Bachelder Street. The entrance to the lot is located on Bachelder Street. After 4 p.m. visitors may park in any open campus lot.

Past Exhibits

View University Gallery Past Exhibits