PEM is engaged in a multi-year project to move the entire collection not on display in the museum to the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center in Rowley, Massachusetts. When the move is complete, this state-of-the-art facility will unify, preserve and protect the more than 850,000 works of art and culture in PEM's collection. The collection represents more than 12,000 years of global artistic and cultural creativity.

Longtime museum supporters James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes made a significant monetary gift in 2023 that supports the museum’s efforts to house, care for and improve access to its collection. The Hawkes Collection Center is also home to the entirety of PEM’s Phillips Library: several hundred thousand books and over a linear mile of archival material. The 30,000-square-foot library research facility provides vital protection and preservation of the collections as well as a Digitization and Photography Studio, staff offices and a Reading Room, which is open to the public.

Please be advised that PEM has begun a multiyear collection moving project to the James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes Collection Center, a state-of-the-art, 120,000-square-foot facility in Rowley, Massachusetts. Due to the magnitude of the project and the significant demands on staff members, PEM has suspended collection access until July 1, 2026.

We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we embark on a comprehensive upgrade to PEM’s collection storage and access.

During this time, access to PEM’s Phillips Library Reading Room remains open to researchers and the general public. Learn more and plan your visit at pem.org/visit/library.