Smith College’s 120-year collecting history has generally followed the policy set forth by Alfred Vance Churchill (director 1919-32) of emphasizing Western art created after the French Revolution. Individual directors have interpreted this charge in different ways, resulting in a collection nationally respected for its strength and diversity. Viewing the American Spectrum exhibition, a visitor may sense the plan underlying the collection, and by looking through the lens of the past, catch a glimpse of its future.