The McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College has launched "Collaborating in Conflict: The Yeats Family and the Public Arts," a comprehensive exhibition exploring three generations of the Yeats family. Featuring approximately 200 works including paintings, embroideries, and rare manuscripts, the show highlights the collaborative yet often tense creative output of patriarch John Butler Yeats and his children, including the poet William Butler Yeats and the painter Jack B. Yeats. Many of the items on display are being shown publicly for the first time or for the first time outside of Ireland.
This exhibition is significant as the most expansive exploration of the Yeats family’s influence on Irish cultural identity during the nation's struggle for independence. By showcasing the intersection of fine art, literature, and craft, the museum illustrates how the family's collective output helped shape the public arts and the Celtic Revival. It underscores the enduring relevance of the humanities in navigating periods of political and social conflict.