Study Centers
BAMPFA offers unparalleled opportunities for engagement with original works of art. Scholars from around the world, students from UC Berkeley and beyond, and members of the community will all have direct access to specialized study centers, staffed by trained facilitators and librarians.
For queries or to schedule an appointment, with the Film Library & Study Center, please contact bampfafilmlibrary@berkeley.edu.
For queries or to schedule an appointment with the Art Study Centers, please submit an appointment request.
Film Library & Study Center
The Film Library and Study Center is open free of charge to anyone interested in film and film culture. Come by and browse through a movie magazine from last week or last century; read books on film history, theory, and criticism; skim through a collection of rare ephemera, press kits, and reviews; access scholarly research databases; listen in on hundreds of recordings of Q&A’s with filmmakers and other guests at BAMPFA screenings; or screen something from BAMPFA’s collection of more than 18,000 films and videos. Viewing carrels allow immediate access to several hundred film and video titles that have been digitized, while 16mm or 35mm film or video can be requested for research viewing with several week’s advance notice. Learn more about the film library.
For appointments and inquiries, please contact bampfafilmlibrary@berkeley.edu
Art Study Centers
Classes and individual researchers are welcome to visit the Art Study Centers to review materials related to BAMPFA Collections. This includes faculty, students, and scholars hoping to view archival materials, including the Theresa Hak Kyung Cha Collection. For classes and organized groups, a selection of works can be made available for viewing and discussion. Group visits can accommodate up to 16 people.
To schedule an appointment in the Art Study Centers, please fill out this request form. Please note that a minimum of three weeks advance notice is required.
Florence Helzel Works on Paper Study Center
The Florence Helzel Works on Paper Study Center provides storage and study areas for drawings, prints, and photographs from the BAMPFA collection, with works dating from the fifteenth century to the present.
James Cahill Asian Art Study Center
Visitors can view BAMPFA’s extensive collection of historical Asian artworks on paper, silk, and cotton, including paintings, drawings, and prints, in the James Cahill Asian Art Study Center.This study center honors the legacy of UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus James Cahill (1926–2014), a hugely influential teacher and one of the foremost scholars of Chinese painting.
Steven Leiber Conceptual Art Study Center
BAMPFA maintains significant holdings in Conceptual art and related materials, including the archives of the Museum of Conceptual Art, The Ant Farm collective, and Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, as well as significant Fluxus and mail art collections. The study center recognizes Steven Leiber (1957–2012), who was a world-renowned dealer, scholar, and collector with a special interest in Conceptual art.
BAMPFA Campus Collaborations: Teaching Wall
The Art Curatorial team works closely with faculty members and students to present small groups of works from the museum's collection, drawing from objects stored in the Art Study Centers. We work with faculty to develop an exhibition related to course themes, integrating the collection into class curriculum for a given semester. These presentations may also be organized by graduate research groups and the BAMPFA Student Committee.
If you are interested in organizing a Teaching Wall installation, please fill out this proposal form.
The Art Curatorial department reviews all proposals on a rolling basis, but please note that proposals should be submitted at least one full semester prior to the anticipated exhibition term to allow time to select objects and prepare related text. For example, proposals for a Teaching Wall intended for a spring semester course should be received early in the previous fall term; or a proposal for a fall Teaching Wall should be submitted by mid-May so work on the exhibition can take place over the summer. A member of our team works closely with faculty members to refine the project.
To view examples of previous Teaching Wall installations, please see Teaching Wall / Panther Meadows and Dangerous Worlds: Contemporary Readings of Asian American Landscapes and Teaching Wall / Environmental Justice, Art, and Race.