Boston Museums

Updated July 24, 2010

Museum of Fine Arts

Currently On View:

The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Vincent van Gogh Foundation), has graciously lent The Sower, painted in the town of Arles in southern France in November of 1888. It is shown in the Sidney and Esther Rabb Gallery with a work that van Gogh had known through reproductions since at least the early 1880s, Jean-François Millet’s monumental canvas The Sower, probably painted about 1850 and in Boston by 1855. The juxtaposition of these paintings is part of an ongoing series of encounters with great art from museums and private collections across the world—a series called “Visiting Masterpieces.” The two Sowers—by Millet and by van Gogh—have never before been seen together in Boston. The Museum welcomes this “visitor” to an installation that includes three works by van Gogh from the MFA collection (Postman Joseph Roulin, Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse), and Ravine).

 

Toulouse-Lautrec's Paris
Cafe and Cabaret
The French aristocrat Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), one of the most innovative artists of the late nineteenth century, is known for his bold and subtle images of performers in the centers of Parisian entertainment in the 1880s and 1890s: the café-concerts and cabaret nightclubs in the bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre.  He combined a wicked, caricatural eye for the signature features and body language of his subjects (who included his friends the singers and dancers May Milton, Jane Avril, and La Goulue) with the radical use of broad flat colors, strong silhouettes, and unusual points of view.. This exhibition features posters, prints, and paintings of café, cabaret, and other urban amusements by Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries.

Under the Skin: Tattoos in Japanese Prints
Now- Sunday, January 2, 2011
Tattooing became an important feature of Japanese urban popular culture in the early 19th century, influenced strongly by the success of a series of woodblock prints featuring Chinese martial arts heroes with spectacular tattoos, vividly imagined by the artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Tattoo artists copied designs from the prints and invented new designs that were, in turn, depicted in later prints. "Under the Skin: Tattoos in Japanese Prints" explores the social background, iconography, and visual splendor of Japanese tattoos through the prints that helped carry the art from the streets of 19th-century Japan to 21st-century tattoo shops all over the world.

Nicholas Nixon: Family Album Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - Sunday, May 1, 2011
Among the most compelling of Nicholas Nixon’s series of photographs are the portraits that he has made of his close-knit family. These photographs, taken over time, explore the nature of long-committed relationships. The exhibition features the entire sequence of the celebrated portraits of the artist’s wife, Bebe, and her three sisters. The exhibition also includes photographs of the artist’s daily life with Bebe and their children Samuel and Clementine (born in the early 1980s), which enable viewers to share in the daily interactions and joys of parenthood. Nicholas Nixon, who teaches at Massachusetts College of Art, is one of the most celebrated American photographers of our generation

NOTE: The MFA is expanding its evening offerings on Thursdays and Fridays to give visitors more opportunities to view the entire collection. All Museum galleries will be open from 10 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. (Previously, just the Museum’s West Wing was open on Thursday and Friday evenings.)

Save some moola! Admission is free on Wednesdays from 4 to 9:45 p.m. And Thursday and Fridays the West Wing admission is discounted $2 from 5 to 9:45 p.m. For information on above listed exhibits and other museum programs, check their Web site.
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
(617) 267-9300

The DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, MA is situated on rolling hills and is one of the area's prettiest sites. The sculptures that dot the grounds have never looked better. Ten New England artists who work in a variety of media including drawing, photography, sculpture, and printmaking will have their work on display. Regular museum hours are Tuesday - Sunday 10 - 5.

For more information: www.decordova.org.

DeCordova Sculpture Park
The DeCordova Sculpture Park, encompassing 35 acres of rolling woodlands and lawns, is the largest park of its kind in New England (see Park Map)., a constantly changing exhibition of large-scale, outdoor, contemporary American sculpture.The Sculpture Park is open to the public every day of the year from dawn 'til dusk, and contains approximately 75 artworks at any given time (see Park Artists). Admission to the Sculpture Park is charged during Museum Gallery operating hours only (Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm). Outside of these times, access to the Sculpture Park is free. Admission to the DeCordova Campus is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors, students, and children ages 6-12; children 5 and under are admitted free. DeCordova Members, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free.

The Gardner Museum

The Gardner is a jewel of a museum, one block away from the venerable Museum of Fine Arts. This Venetian palace, once the home of Mrs. Jack Gardner, houses some fine art by master painters.The Gardner is one of Boston's artistic jewels with one of the most beautiful courtyards in the city. Fresh flowers greet the visitor to announce the different seasons with exotic displays, and there are guided tours Fridays at 2:30 p.m., limited to the first 20 people. On Sunday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. there are classical concerts in the Music Room overlooking the Courtyard, and one of the city's best-kept secrets is the charming "Gardner Cafe." (See review.)

The museum is open Tuesday - Sunday 11 a. m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $10 ($11 on weekends), seniors $7, children $3, ages 11 and under, free. For more information: www.gardnermuseum.org.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
280 The Fenway, Boston
(617) 566-1401

The Museum of Bad Art - Masterworks
by Michael Frank, Louise Reilly Sacco

Located in the basement of a theater, the Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is a unique institution dedicated to the celebration of artistic effort, however misguided. The Museum of Bad Art: Masterworks presents a pulsating collection of more than seventy never-before-published pieces of artwork from MOBA’s permanent collection. Comprised largely of canvases found discarded on curbside trash piles or obtained for a pittance at thrift stores, this innovative compilation occupies a niche previously ignored in the international community of art collection, preservation, and interpretation. If the subjectivity of art appreciation were ever in doubt, this astonishing assortment of artistic commentaries will fan the flames of controversy. It is clear that many of these artists suffered for their art; now it’s your turn.

 

 

Peabody Essex Museum in Salem

For  information on current exhibits at this renowned Salem museum, as well as directions and hours: www.pem.org.

Harvard College Museums

World-famous Harvard just across the Charles River in Cambridge has three art museums, the Fogg, the Sackler, and the Busch-Reisinger. All three offer FREE admission on Saturdays from 10 a.m. - noon. All other times, one admission gets you into all three.

• The Fogg Museum, 32 Quincy St.
• The Sackler, at 585 Broadway
• The Busch-Reisinger in Werner Otto Hall - enter through the Fogg.

The Children's Museum

The newly-renovated Children's Museum is now open!

One of Boston's most pupular museums is this highly-acclaimed children's oasis with four floors of interactive exhibits for all ages. One of their newest interactive exhibits is "Boston Black...A City Connects," an interactive exhibit about the diversity of Boston. Here you can get involved in Boston's vibrant communities by decorating a float at the Carnival Garage, share in a celebration of Caribbean culture, shopat the Colmado Store, style hair at African Queen Beauty salon, and dance at a Cape Verdean cafe.

Children's Museum hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays, except school vacation days and holidays. Special admission prices on Fridays 5 -9 p.m.-- all visitors $1. Other times, tickets are: $6 kids and seniors, others, $7. For the latest on the many varied activities available, check out their Web site or call the "What's Up Line" at (617) 426-8855.

For those traveling to and from Logan Airport in Boston, check out the museum's airport satellite in the C terminal at Logan Airport. The Kidport Exhibit has climbing structures related to airport themes and will wile away the waiting time between planes.
The Children's Museum
300 Congress Street
(617) 426-6500

New England Aquarium

Children and adults alike will enjoy the penguins at the Aquarium! The exhibit 3 different species of penguins, with over 60 of the charming creatures in a 150,000-gallon tank. Visit the Penguin Pages on their Web site for lots of great information about penguins, both at the Aquarium and around the world, and find out how you too can learn to walk like a penguin!

The Aquarium is one of the city's most popular attractions, and the bustling Boston Waterfront location is a treat for young and old. The Aquarium is open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Admission is $12, Juniors 3-11 $6, Children under 3, free, and Seniors $10.

Aquarium's IMAX Theatre
The giant screen - 65 feet high by 85 feet wide - is taller than a six story building! The slight curvature of the screen extends to the edge of your peripheral vision.

Now Playing:

At the Aquarium's Simons IMAX Theatre, you won't just watch a film, you'll be there, thanks to amazing IMAX 3D technology. It's 12,000 watts of digital sound and New England's largest screen. Don't miss the most cinematic way imaginable to see these beautiful and astounding creatures of the deep.

Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World

Swim back in time for an underwater safari through a lost age. Paddle with the majestic creatures that roamed the oceans 200 million years ago. See what they eat, watch them play and hear them bellow. You’ll want to duck as they glide gracefully right off the screen! New England’s largest movie screen is your family’s portal to an underwater universe that existed long before the dinosaurs. Check times and buy tickets online! (Click here to see the preview.)

Hubble 3D

“Hubble is about as close as most of us will get to a trip into space.” -- AP

“... You can feel the roar of the rockets ...” -- Variety

Blast into orbit with Hubble 3D, narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio! Float alongside a brave team of NASA astronauts during this family-friendly space adventure as they repair the Hubble telescope. Check times and buy tickets online!

The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D

Escape to a tropical paradise this winter exclusively at the Simons IMAX Theatre!      Join the world's best surfers as they swim with sea turtles, humpback whales, sharks and schools of fish in the captivating coastal reefs of Tahiti. Soak in spectacular underwater 3D images and learn the science secrets behind the biggest waves on Earth in this family-friendly adventure. Check times and buy tickets online!

Under the Sea 3D

The new IMAX 3D adventure will transport moviegoers to some of the most exotic and isolated undersea locations on earth, including Southern Australia, New Guinea and other sites in the Indo-Pacific region, allowing them to experience face-to-face encounters with some of the most mysterious and stunning creatures of the sea. Check times and buy tickets online!

 

U23D

Better than the front row, even better than backstage, this incredible film puts you onstage with Bono and the rest of the band during U2’s Vertigo tour. Rock out alongside U2 to all of the classic songs, including Beautiful Day; Sunday, Bloody Sunday; Vertigo and With or Without You. Check times and buy tickets online!

For complete information on the Aquarium exhibits, visit their Web site.

New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
(617) 973-5200

Sports Museum of New England

They seem to have finally found a permanent home for sports fans who crave the various bits of memorabilia collected through the halcyon days of the Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox. Videos and interactive exhibits will keep the rabid fan busy for hours. The museum is now located on the upper levels of the Fleet Center in Boston. Hours are Tues.- Sat. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sun. Noon - 5. Admission: $6, seniors and children, $4.
Sports Museum of New England
(617) 787-7678

Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site

Frederick Law Olmsted is currently CLOSED to visitors in order to carry out a construction project involving park buildings, grounds and collections. The park anticipates reopening in 2010. For more information, call or visit their Web site.
Olmsted National Historic Site
99 Warren St, Brookline
(617) 566-1689