The permanent collection of the Rose Art Museum numbers more than 8,000 objects and is particularly strong in American art of the 1960s and 1970s, including works by Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Morris Louis, James Rosenquist and Andy Warhol. Recent acquisitions include works by Bruce Conner, Mark Bradford, Charline von Heyl, Jack Whitten, Chris Burden, and Al Loving.
The museum's permanent collection is used as a teaching resource and is available for scholarly use by appointment. The Rose also maintains a Digital Collection site representing a broad and growing segment of the permanent collection.
The Rose has a satellite gallery, Rosebud, at 683 Main Street, Waltham which features works from the Museum's collection of video art. The gallery aims to activate public engagement with contemporary art through curated exhibitions while participating to revive underutilized properties in the city of Waltham.
The Rose Art Museum closes for the summer.