Massachusetts is best known as one of the Thirteen Colonies, but its cultural scene boasts much to offer art lovers. From world-renowned museums to local galleries, Massachusetts provides something for all audiences.
At Old Sturbridge Village, visitors can step back in time and stroll among 40 authentic 18th-century structures that span from homes, trade shops and meetinghouses to district schools and water-powered mills.
1. Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston's crowning artistic achievement, boasts one of the world's most comprehensive art collections spanning various eras and geographical regions - featuring Monets not found elsewhere outside Paris, an extensive John Singer Sargent collection and ancient Egyptian antiquities among its holdings.
Beginning as an outgrowth of Boston Athenaeum library's art holdings, the MFA has since grown to over 500,000 pieces. Housed in an eye-catching neoclassical building by Back Bay Fens park, the museum serves as an integral cultural institution enriching lives throughout this city.
Its world-class collections -- such as Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum Head Portrait of George Washington, Renoir's Le Bal a Bougival, Burne-Jones' The Love Song, Whistler's Girl in a White Dress and numerous Monets among many others -- make the MFA an international museum second only to New York City's Metropolitan Museum. Their extensive Asian and European art collection covers classic to contemporary artistic movements.
The Museum of Fine Arts boasts the nation's premier collection of modern and contemporary art, including many works by American artists. Additionally, its permanent exhibitions host special events and educational programs tailored specifically for all ages.
The MFA welcomes everyone, offering free admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets to timed exhibitions may be purchased either in advance online or at their venue on the day. Visitors may purchase MFA membership anytime to gain free admission; The Sharf Visitor Center located near its Fenway entrance offers maps and information as well as tour groups that meet at this center.
2. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Isabella Stewart Gardner's museum, one of Boston's most beloved and visited attractions, offers visitors a delightful journey. Situated predominantly in Fenway Court's main building, its collection includes sculptures, tapestries, furniture, rare books and decorative arts from diverse fields as well as European paintings by Raphael and Rembrandt as well as American artists James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent. Additionally, its charming plant-filled courtyard with seasonal blossoming plants adds even further pleasure when visiting this museum - while personal arrangements add personal charm!
Gardner lived on the fourth floor of the museum from its opening in 1903 until her death. At that time, she personally organized her collections and added and changed works frequently as she traveled through Europe and the Middle East - this led her to collect pieces from these cultures for display with more personal taste than strictly historical or formal convention.
Soon after the museum opened, she retained Bernard Berenson to assist in building her art collection. Under his tutelage, she acquired two Matisse pieces - including the first Matisse ever seen in an American collection - as well as Titian's The Rape of Europa. Over time, her collection expanded further, to include works from ancient Rome, medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia and 19th-century France.
Her collection is enhanced by special exhibitions and concerts, events, artist-in-residence programs and artist residencies. Additionally, the museum houses an extensive library and archive holdings; additionally in 2012 a new wing designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano was added.
3. Norman Rockwell Museum
The Berkshires may be famous for their lush landscapes and vibrant culinary scene, but they're also home to one of the world's largest collections of Norman Rockwell works. Established by Rockwell and his third wife Molly in 1969, Stockbridge Museum houses 574 original Rockwell paintings dating from his famous Saturday Evening Post covers to portraits of small-town America - as well as humorous caricature pieces depicting conflicts within society such as poverty or civil rights issues.
Lower level of the museum features an incredible exhibit dedicated to all 323 covers that Rockwell painted for The Saturday Evening Post during his 47-year career, organized chronologically so you can witness his style changing along with our nation over time.
Rockwell's paintings during the 1930s and 40s began depicting scenes of small-town America and its inhabitants, depicting such subjects as pharmacists delivering medications, barbers taking haircuts, young boys playing in wooded areas with their dogs, teenage girls visiting beauty salons and so forth.
Rockwell began his career by using live models and real props as subjects; later, he gradually introduced photography into his process. Unfortunately, most of these preparatory photographs were destroyed in a fire in 1943; nevertheless, this museum houses several fascinating photographic studies which illustrate Rockwell's process.
4. Museum of Modern Renaissance
MoMA has revolutionized our understanding of what constitutes a museum, as well as how they tell a narrative about modern art. Under Alfred Barr and Dorothy Miller's founding directorship, modern art that reflected society was presented at MoMA and soon its collection included sculpture, installation art, film screenings and multi-media artwork alongside traditional paintings and drawings.
College Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts stands out among neighboring apartments and houses due to the unique home of Nicholas Shaplyko and Ekaterina Sorokina who use their house as their own personal art gallery.
This Museum of Modern Renaissance offers a vivid display of colorful works that cover every inch of its interior and exterior. Two Russian artists have painted everything from stars and planets to mythical beings and architecture in their homeland - creating an effect known as mythical realism through colorful hues that combine for magical effects.
House is open to the public several times annually and hosts yoga classes and music concerts in its massive main hall - with some of the best acoustics in Boston - by artists. Their priority is sharing their work while making people comfortable; all that really matters to them is that people enjoy themselves when visiting.
Other Bay State museums that focus on contemporary art include Mass MoCA in North Adams and Clark Art Institute in Berkshires. Numerous galleries can also be found across the region from SoWa and Newbury Street in Boston to Cambridge Central Square and Arts Night Out events in Northampton.
5. Peabody Essex Museum
Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), one of the oldest and most esteemed museums in America, boasts one of the country's premier collections containing more than one million art and artifacts, ranking among North America's 20 largest museums. Their recent fundraising drive will catapult them even higher into global institutions.
The museum dates back to 1799 when Salem hosted the East India Marine Society. Their original charter provided for an "occult cabinet of curiosities", with members bringing objects from Asia, Africa, Oceania and India for display at their new home in Salem.
Over time, PEM's collection has grown in line with their dedication to preserving and celebrating their region. One of the first museums in America to collect decorative arts, today visitors can explore PEM's vast assortment of furniture, folk art, textiles and jewelry on display here.
PEM is a leader in the acquisition, relocation, restoration and interpretation of historic environments with examples from nearly every architectural style present on its sprawling campus of 24 historic buildings - among them are Samuel Pickman House, East India Marine Hall and John Ward House which all bear National Historic Landmark status; also included are Chinese domestic architecture examples like Yin Yu Tang which stands as sole example in America.
PEM is an energetic and engaging museum that brings art and history from around the globe together with people and ideas, providing access to its diverse collections as an important source for scholarship. Additionally, its curatorial culture fosters collaboration across departments to celebrate intersections and discoveries; PEM's commitment to diversity makes them one of the top employers in their region.
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