Founded in 1961, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University in Waltham is unique among New England museums in that it specializes in modern and contemporary art. It has top-shelf works by, among others, Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Morris Louis, Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Roy Lichtenstein (right), and Ad Reinhardt. Last year, under financial pressure, the university threatened to close the Rose and sell off the collection, igniting a huge controversy. Under new directorship, it remains open, at least for now, with changing exhibitions and a rotating selection of works from the permanent collection.