For most of us, the importance of a diverse world doesn’t need to be overstated. For others, it seems that we literally need to write it on the wall.
In solidarity with immigrants in America, for the entirety of the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend, the Davis Museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts has removed all works of art created or donated by people born outside of America in an effort to highlight immigrants’ immense contributions and impact on the art world. The initiative is being dubbed Art-Less.
In lieu of the works’ presence, the museum will drape cases with black cloth and label walls with “Made by an immigrant” and “Given by an immigrant”.
Assistant Director of Curatorial Affairs and Senior Curator of Collections, Claire Whitner, said: “Every permanent collections gallery will be affected by the subtraction of works created by or given to the Museum by an immigrant to the United States.”
The museum’s art collection consists of approximately 120 art works – 20 per cent of its permanent collection – which were made or donated by immigrants.
 – the Dutch-born artist moved to New York in 1927)
