The Bellarmine is home to encyclopedic permanent collections, with objects ranging from pre-Columbian sculptures to Tang pottery, from Medieval jewelry to Renaissance paintings. The museum enjoys fruitful collaborative relationships with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters (from whom it holds 24 objects on long-term loan) and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, among others.

The Bellarmine Museum of Art holds a rich and varied collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative art objects, including ten paintings by masters from the Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods - works gifted to the University by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation via Bridgeport's Discovery Museum (formerly the Museum of Art, Industry and Science). The BMA also maintains a large selection of historic plaster casts after important works from ancient Greece and Rome, including eight that were donated to the University by the Acropolis Museum in Athens in July 2010. In addition, the museum showcases a range of non-Western art objects (including pre-Columbian vessels, 19th-century South East Asian sculptures, and African masks), and is fortunate enough to hold twenty-four objects from the Celtic, Byzantine, Romanesque, and Medieval periods on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters.

The BMA installs up to four special exhibitions each year. These shows, which embrace a wide range of themes and academic disciplines, are intended to fulfill the BMA's commitment to examining artifacts through an array of viewpoints and differing perspectives.

Family Days on select Saturdays, from 1 -4 p.m.

The museum is currently expanding its educational and outreach programming. Students and educators are always welcome, as are members of the general public. Groups of eight or more are kindly requested to call in advance to make a reservation at (203) 254-4000, ext. 4046 or e-mail at museum@fairfield.edu. Families are invited to the BMA on select Saturdays for special enrichment activities,

School groups are required to make a reservation. A contribution of $3 per child is requested for groups of 10 or more (payable at the time of visit). Adult supervision is required for all school groups: 1 adult chaperone per every 8 children must accompany the students at all times.

The Bellarmine Museum of Art is committed to working with local schools and their educators to create collaborative programs that balance visual thinking skills with curricular mandates and standards. Teachers and educators interested in planning activities are invited to contact the museum directly at (203) 254-4046 or e-mail at museum@fairfield.edu.

Groups of 10 or more are kindly requested to make an appointment in advance (museum@fairifeld.edu or 203-254-4046). F

Guided tours (50 minutes) are available by appointment only. Rates do apply and are on our website.

Fairfield University is pleased to make the Bellarmine Museum of Art available for rent by private parties* outside of the museum's regular hours of operation. All events held at the museum are expected to complement the character and mission of both Fairfield University and the Bellarmine Museum of Art. Private parties celebrating weddings, children's birthdays, fashion, trade, or flower shows may not be held at the museum. Please refer to the Rental and Events Policy for further details. For more information, please contact the Office of Conference & Event Management at (203) 254-40000 ext 3288 or ext 2376.