Massachusetts neighborhoods each tell their own unique tale, from cross-cultural celebrations to eclectic commercial areas; Boston truly exudes culture! An effective arts education focuses on artistic literacy - the ability to comprehend and interpret works of art - while at the same time providing meaningful arts programs that equip children for civic participation as adults in their communities.
1. The Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) stands as one of Boston's crown jewels when it comes to art. As the fifth-biggest museum in America, this immense repository houses centuries of history in an elegant neoclassical building bordering Back Bay Fens Park.
Spend an entire day wandering its galleries, but allow extra time for special exhibitions like "Wilderness". Here, visitors are invited to write prayers, proverbs, and philosophies on ribbons tied around Asian bitterrsweet vines attached to woven structures of bittersweet vines woven by Asian bitterrsweet vines woven by hand looms. Additionally on display are paintings by Picasso and Warhol and an impressive sculpture garden.
MFA's educational programs and community outreach promote deeper exploration through art. You can learn to draw, take a guided tour of the museum or attend one of their weekly drawing workshops; tickets include admission to both Harvard's Peabody Museum as well as MFA. Members enjoy free entry, though special exhibition tickets must be purchased separately.
2. The Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library
Since it opened its doors in 1935, over 11 million visitors have visited the three-story Mapparium. This world-renowned globe allows visitors to step inside and experience a 3-dimensional view of how life was in 1935.
The Mapparium features a bronze framework connected with 608 glass panels that reflect and refract light, offering an immersive interactive experience. A 10-minute presentation combining words, music, and LED lights around the equator creates a captivating spectacle; you will also learn about global changes such as Africa's shift from colonial rule to independence.
The Mapparium can be found at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, an iconic Boston landmark founded by groundbreaking 19th century thinker and Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy. Additionally, there are exhibitions showcasing her newspaper publication legacy - The Christian Science Monitor. A great place to discover her history as well as learn about her life work, this venue can also easily be reached via public transit - commonly referred to as The T - while many area tours stop there too!
3. The Bridge of Flowers
Once considered an eyesore after its railway company filed for bankruptcy, Shelburne Falls residents took matters into their own hands to turn it into one of Western Massachusetts's premier attractions - now an incredible horticultural spectacle adorned with beautiful flowering plants and absolutely breathtaking!
Street art is currently enjoying an unparalleled boom. Now celebrated and encouraged across major cities worldwide - Boston is no different! Street art can be found virtually everywhere and makes for easy discovery on each visit to our beloved city.
Walk the streets of Boston on foot with a guided tour that showcases some of the city's hidden gems of arts and culture, off-the-beaten-path spots, history lessons, marshmallow fluff origins, modern surgery advancements - everything will come alive on this tour! Explore this innovative American city from marshmallow fluff creation to surgical advances like C-sections with this tour.
4. The Boston Marathon
In 2013, the Boston Marathon witnessed a devastating turn, when bombs were detonated near its finish line, three people were killed, and over 260 others were injured. Boston and its marathon responded by continuing with the race while expanding qualifying pools and increasing security measures.
The 26.2-mile race starts in Hopkinton and winds its way through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley Hills, and Newton before crossing into Boston proper. The Boston Marathon is one of the world's premier marathon events; participants must meet rigorous qualifying times to participate. Furthermore, Wellesley College students play an instrumental role in its celebration by waving cowbells to encourage runners.
The Marathon Man statue near Heartbreak Hill commemorates long-distance running legend and world-renowned long-distance runner John A. Kelley of Boston who ran in 61 Boston Marathons between 1936 and 1948 and competed at both Summer Olympic Games - being inducted into both USA Track & Field Hall of Fame and National Road Running Distance Hall of Fame as a member.
5. Minute Man National Historic Park
Minute Man National Historic Park in Lexington and Concord was the site of many of the first battles of the American Revolution and still preserves many sites, buildings, landscapes, artifacts, and artifacts from that pivotal day and time. Visitors can walk a five-mile long Battle Road trail to experience what Colonial Militia and British Regulars would have experienced on April 19, 1775.
Begin your visit at the Minute Man Visitor Center, where Park Ranger staff can assist in planning your tour. It features exhibits and an entertaining theater presentation called "The Road to Revolution," detailing events from that day.
Travel to Lexington Green and North Bridge for a glimpse of where Colonial militia clashed with British soldiers - something Ralph Waldo Emerson described as the "shot heard 'round the world". Additionally, Daniel Chester French created the Minute Man statue in 1871-1874 as a reminder of those ready to fight at any moment, who became known as Minute Men.
6. Smith College Museum of Art
Smith College stands out among American universities as an institution known for its world art treasures - generously provided by generous alumni - which have been gifted over time. Additionally, the newly designed Brown Fine Arts Center visually unifies and redefines campus arts programs.
The collection at the museum consists of modern painting and sculpture, works on paper, western European masterpieces, and non-Western art such as Native American and Islamic objects from all cultures around the world.
Emma Chubb, Curator of Contemporary Art at SCMA, describes one of its priorities as collecting art that speaks to the curriculum needs of the college. In April she traveled with artist-in-residence Abdessamad El Montassir to Morocco for work on an exhibit exploring Sahara desert histories that go beyond official narratives.
An important initiative of the Museum has been expanding its African art collection. Beginning with ceremonial axes from the Luba people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1939, it now comprises over two hundred objects of sculpture, textiles, painting, and mixed media from across Africa.
7. Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
Mount Holyoke College Art Museum (MHCAM), situated in South Hadley, Massachusetts is an exceptional cultural institution. As one of the seven "Sister" schools and highly selective, it has long been revered for fostering talented female leaders ranging from medical pioneers to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights.
The museum boasts an extensive collection of artwork, sculptures, and works on paper as well as rotating exhibitions that focus on different themes or forms of media. A recent show included William Kentridge's stop-motion animation film featuring silhouettes dancing the tango superimposed onto pages from an 18th-century chemistry book; both exhibits were intended to complement each other perfectly.
The museum boasts collections that span time periods and styles, from classical Egyptian art to contemporary American pieces. Established in 1876, this is one of the first collegiate museums in America. As part of Museums10 (an alliance of 10 western Massachusetts museums sharing collections with each other), this institution strives to make their collections easily available to the public.
8. The Mead Art Museum
Mead Art Museum at Amherst College recently received an impressive gift of over 170 pieces of contemporary art, which will be added to its existing collection and displayed this fall. This gift represents an invaluable asset in Massachusetts' art scene.
Min Jung Kim, in her newly appointed position as director of the New Britain Museum of American Art, brings fresh eyes and international experience to her institution. With an established career in museum leadership - including creating partnerships between different institutions around the globe - and an interest in art and culture, she possesses all of these attributes in spades.
Sarah Johnson recently joined the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit, a museum focused on New England folk and regional art as well as visual storytelling traditions. In this role, Sarah is expanding the museum's presence and reach, working to strengthen financial stability, celebrating heritage while welcoming future possibilities - something for which she earned her master's in Art History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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