FAQ

Yes, we encourage sketching (pencil only) in all of the museum’s galleries.

Yes, photography without flash for personal use is allowed in all of the museum’s galleries unless otherwise indicated.

Video recording equipment is not permitted in the galleries. If you would like to film in the galleries, please contact the communications manager.

The museum has a café located next to the main museum entrance and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. During the academic year, it offers light refreshments and a selection of prepared sandwiches and salads. During the summer, a limited selection of cold drinks and snacks are available for purchase through the welcome desk. The café is closed on Sundays and during the month of January.

Colby’s Dana Dining Hall on campus is open to visitors. Please ask for directions at the welcome desk.

Downtown at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, you may purchase coffee, tea, and cold drinks at Borderlands Coffee. There are also multiple cafés, restaurants, and bars on Main Street where the art center is located. Front & Main is the restaurant and bar of the Lockwood Hotel.

Colby College is just fifteen minutes north of the state capital, Augusta. There is much to explore nearby, both locally in Waterville and in nearby towns.

For access-related questions or requests, please call 207-859-5620 or email sllaverd@colby.edu.

The Colby Museum is wheelchair accessible through the north and south entrances of the Bixler Art and Music Center; consult the interactive map of Colby College. The Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art and Paul J. Schupf Art Center in downtown Waterville are wheelchair accessible via the main entrance at 93 Main Street.

Wheelchairs and push walkers with seats are available for visitor use. To request one, call 207-859-5620 or email sllaverd@colby.edu.

Visitors may bring trained service animals as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service animals must always be on a leash when they are anywhere on campus. Emotional support animals are not allowed at the museum. For additional questions, please contact the welcome desk at 207-859-5610 or sllaverd@colby.edu.

Bags or backpacks larger than 11 x 14 inches should be hung in the designated area to the right of the welcome desk or stowed in lockers. Please ask the welcome desk attendants for guidance.

Yes, mobile devices are permitted in the galleries, but we ask that you please set your phone to vibrate and take all calls outside of the galleries.

Groups must be at least ten people and cannot exceed thirty. Advance reservations are required. Please fill out the group tour request form or contact Sheri Laverdiere, assistant for museum visits / welcome desk supervisor, at 207-859-5620 or sllaverd@colby.edu.

While the Colby Museum cannot endorse specific conservators, the American Institute for Conservation’s website has a comprehensive list of conservators across the country.

Museum personnel are not permitted to appraise or authenticate works of art, nor recommend individual appraisers/authenticators. To locate an appraiser/authenticator that matches your needs, call or visit the websites of the following professional associations:  
 
American Society of Appraisers  
Appraisers Association of America  
Art Dealers Association of America  
International Society of Appraisers  
 
For appraisals of charitable donations of works of art, check with your tax preparer or accountant for the proper procedure and documentation required by the IRS. There are also online sites—including Sotheby’s and Christie’s—that allow you to search for recent and past auction prices for a particular artist’s work.

The museum does not accept unsolicited proposals or artist materials. Any materials submitted will not be returned.

Potential donors should contact museum@colby.edu and indicate “potential art donation” in the subject line. We ask that you provide complete information for the work being offered as well as digital images. Museum staff will review the proposed gift and make an assessment based on the museum’s collecting priorities and criteria. All proposed gifts must go through this process of review and approval.

Fill out this form to obtain an image held by the Colby Museum and/or request permission to reproduce it. Any questions regarding the form or your request may be directed to museumimages@colby.edu. Please allow five to eight weeks to process your request; requests with less than one month’s lead time may not be accommodated. If new photography is required, the wait time may be longer.

We invite you to sign up to receive Colby Museum emails and participate in the many free public programs the museum offers. Want to get to know us better or propose an idea? Contact Virginia López-Anido, coordinator of community and visitor engagement, at vlopezan@colby.edu.  
 
We encourage you to visit the Colby Arts events calendar for performance and other arts events offered by Colby and its partners. Local artists can also find opportunities to promote their art and engage the community through the Ticonic Gallery + Studios, part of Waterville Creates. Ticonic hosts art exhibitions and provides unique social, cultural, and collaborative opportunities for the Waterville community.

Waterville Creates believes that the arts have the power to strengthen community bonds, drive a robust local economy, and enrich lives through creative expression. The arts nonprofit is housed at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center and encompasses the Maine Film Center, Ticonic Gallery + Studios, and the Waterville Opera House. The Schupf Center is also home to the Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art, part of the Colby Museum, and Borderlands Coffee.