Boston, Massachusetts is known for many things. The medical facilities are renowned all over the globe, as are the educational institutions. Boston sports teams were long the underdogs in their respective leagues, but have, with the exception of the Bruins, become reliable champions. But what’s happening now with art?
There are three major art museums in Boston proper, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). There are also many smaller museums, university and college museums, and galleries. As of this writing, the Gardner has a Botticelli exhibit and the ICA is preparing for a Yayoi Kusama exhibit. The MFA has an interesting array of offerings; right now, there is a Frida Kahlo exhibit, a Toulouse Lautrec exhibit, and an exhibit on gender-bending fashion. An art lover in Boston has no lack of opportunities to see great art, but Boston does not have a reputation as an art city in the way that New York City or Santa Fe do.
In my opinion, a large reason for this is Boston’s tumultuous relationship with contemporary art. When the MFA opened a contemporary wing in 2011 and the public reaction was not exactly enthusiastic, the MFA responded with a branding campaign, “All Art Has Been Contemporary.” The wing opened, there are many special exhibits there, and the permanent collection is worth seeing. Boston has had a problem with contemporary art since Monet. They loved Monet. Societies were founded in Boston devoted to Monet, but as soon as the impressionism era ended, Boston stayed stuck in the past. Boston still loves Monet; the MFA’s room of Monet paintings is always more crowded than almost any other space in the museum.
However, that is not to say that there is not a thriving art community in Boston. There are several initiatives and organizations that seek to shine a light on art being created in Boston.
Young Audiences Massachusetts is a local organization that brings performing arts to schools. They offer a variety of programming and showcase a variety of musical, dance, and theater traditions. They work with local artists to bring this programming to students1. Students are exposed to new forms of art and, if they receive art education in school, this supplements that.
Artists for Humanity is another organization working with local artists. They employ young artists and teach them how to make careers in the arts. In their history, they have employed over 3,000 teenage artists2. Creating a class of working artists is an important step to create a cultural economy and to ensure that there are new generations of art consumers and creators.
The Art Connection approaches art from another direction, they take original works of visual art that have been donated and install them in social service centers, like health centers, community centers, and homeless shelters. It’s essential that all people have access to art3.
Major museums are also getting more involved with local art and communities. The MFA’s Community Arts Initiative partners with local community centers and organizations to provide art education to children. They understand, as do the previously mentioned organizations, that art access must be universal, and it must start early4.
The City of Boston has been very involved in public art. Mayor Walsh has instituted “Percent for Art” which puts 1% of capital borrowing into public art programs. He has also issued a Call to Artists to help with public projects around the city. As of this writing, there is a call for the East Boston Police Station. The application deadline has passed, but if you’re a local artist who wants to participate in future projects, keep an eye on this page5.
There are so many opportunities to access art in Boston happening now. The art institutions are spectacular and there are many organizations and initiatives working to expose people to art in their own community. We will highlight local initiatives as they come up.
- “About Us,” Young Audiences of Massachusetts (blog), http://yamass.org/about-us/.
- “ABOUT,” http://afhboston.org/aboutus.html.
- “Home,” Bringing art to life, https://www.theartconnection.org/.
- “Community Arts Initiative,” Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, March 19, 2012, https://www.mfa.org/programs/community-programs/community-arts-initiative.
- “Mayor Walsh Selects East Boston Police Station as Location of Latest Public Art Project,” The Heights (blog), March 31, 2019, https://bcheights.com/2019/03/31/east-boston-police-station-selected-as-location-of-latest-public-art-project/.