Tender Instincts
the 2026 Thesis & Senior Exhibition
May 2 — May 15, 2026
Tender Instincts, the 2026 Thesis & Senior Exhibition, is on view throughout the Wellesley College Art Department in early May!
Featuring artwork by nearly 40 students in over 20 different majors and minors, this exhibition is both a showcase of the many artistic skills of Wellesley students (ranging from painting, drawing, and printmaking to book arts, woodcarving, welding, photography, digital media, and so much more) and a collective response to the question of what it means to care, wonder, and create in the world today.
Artwork will be on display in the Jewett Art Gallery, Jewett Hallway Galleries, Jewett Sculpture Court, Jewett Black Box, Jewett/PNW Bridge Alcove, and PNW 205. An exhibition catalog will be available at the galleries, and an exhibition website will go live on the Art Dept's exhibitions page on May 1.
The exhibition opens with a reception from 4:30-5:30 pm on Friday May 1. Following the reception, the show is open to the public 12:00-5:00 pm daily from May 2 - 13.
The show is open to the Wellesley College campus community whenever Jewett is open from May 1 through graduation ceremonies the morning of May 15.
Contact gallery director Samara Pearlstein, spearls2@wellesley.edu or 781-283-2043 with any questions or for a guided tour through the show.