Museum of Bad Art
Yes, we’re recommending you see purposely bad art. In its most prominent location, tucked away in the basement of the historical Somerville Theatre, the Museum of Bad Art has the effrontery to proudly display the best of the worst. Does the artist utterly fail to portray any sense of perspective? Are the individuals in the painting a trifle nightmarish, and not in a charming Salvador Dalí way? All find a home at MOBA, which also offers comedic commentary next to its masterpieces. And lucky for repeat visitors, there’s often new bad art to admire. 55 Davis Sq., Somerville, MA 02144, museumofbadart.org.
Museum of Bad Art
This is actually the mailing address and world headquarters office of this important cultural institution. The museum's exhibits can now be viewed in the basement of the Dedham Community Theater, 580 High Street, Dedham. Caveat emptor: Rumor has it that good art occasionally sneaks by curator Scott Wilson and executive director Jerry Reilly, but director of aesthetic interpretation Marie Jackson assures us she's on the case. 10 Vogel Street, West Roxbury, MA .
Museum of Bad Art
Bad is in its name, but we only have extraordinary things to say about this venerable cultural institution, which exhibits works of art that, uh, must have lovely personalities. After nearly 30 years of hopscotching from location to location — former sites include the Dedham Community Theatre and the Somerville Theatre basement — the Museum of Bad Art opened a new public gallery at the Dorchester Brewing Company in September. Now you can spend a leisurely afternoon sipping fruity brews and browsing, um, creative works from MOBA’s collection — like a cockeyed painting of Jackie O flirtatiously eyeing George Washington. Dorchester Brewing Company, 1250 Mass Ave., Dorchester, MA 02125, museumofbadart.org.
Harvard Art Museums
Take your guests on a grand tour at the Harvard Art Museums, where European allure and venue options are in no short supply. Swap vows in the ivy-adorned courtyard of Adolphus Busch Hall, then head to the museum’s galleries to peruse paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, including masterpieces from the Impressionist era, during cocktail hour. Afterward, you’ll make your official debut in Calderwood Courtyard, the museum’s Renzo Piano–designed atrium. Its glass roof suspends a massive mobile composed of oversize musical triangles—a harmonious backdrop for a dance floor. 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, harvardartmuseums.org.
Danforth Museum of Art's
For the Project II series, which featured a changing spectacle of inventive installations by prominent local and national artists.
Museum of Fine Arts
All of our local museums have responded to 2020’s challenges with aplomb, working hard to launch online programs that keep the public connected. But the MFA has gone above and beyond with offerings as labyrinthine as its physical complex on Huntington Ave. In addition to a deep dive into the landmark Basquiat exhibit, the museum also uploaded artist interviews and art classes for kids on its website and YouTube channel—to say nothing of its immaculately produced collection tours on Google Arts & Culture. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
Museum of Fine Arts
Original art, hand-pressed paper. When you care enough to really send the best. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
Museum of Fine Arts
Boston's foremost art museum has it all: mummies and amphorae, French impressionists, and abstract expressionists. The jaw-dropping highlight, however, is the Arts of the Americas Wing, opened in fall 2010, which has taken many pieces formerly displayed in dark basement galleries and given them space to breathe in a brightly lit, glassed-in viewing area. The galleries themselves are nearly as inspiring as the art they feature. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2115, mfa.org.
Museum of Fine Arts
What keeps the MFA fresh after all these years? Start with the wide-ranging exhibitions, which this year alone highlighted the role of tattooing in 19th-century Japanese prints, showcased quilting as a historical artform, and revived the much-loved Art in Bloom, which pairs works — like the museum’s Kehinde Wiley piece — with floral arrangements from local designers. It’s efforts like these that keep giving us new reasons to go back year after year. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
Museum of Fine Arts
A venerable palace of classic works, the MFA upped its contemporary game last fall with #mfaNOW, a celebration of modern art that presented the unique opportunity for visitors to watch all 24 hours of Christian Marclay's real-time video collage The Clock at an overnight party. But the institution hasn't neglected its roots, kicking off the warmer months with a Henri Matisse exhibit that you can see for yourself until July 9. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
Harvard Art Museums
Last year, Harvard showed us that melding three museums—the Fogg, the Busch-Reisinger, and the Arthur M. Sackler—into a five-level palace of scholarly eye candy is doable indeed. After a six-year renovation, Harvard Art Museums opened in November, and the project handily lives up to its reported $350 million price tag. One needs only a layman's knowledge of art and history—enough to get psyched about Van Gogh's self-portrait, Warhol's electric-chair silkscreens, and portraits of George Washington—to spend an afternoon wandering the museum's halls in awe. 32 Quincy St., Cambridge, MA 02138, harvardartmuseums.org.
Rose Art Museum
Six years ago, Brandeis University feared the recession would shutter its art museum. Thankfully, a public outcry and powerful art collectors reversed that plan, and the school hired a new director, Christopher Bedford, to add to the museum's collections. The Rose has always excelled at midcentury abstract expressionism and pop art, and recently fleshed out its contemporary and African-American holdings. Today, it's among the most expansive university-run modern-art museums in the U.S. 415 South St., Waltham, MA 02453, brandeis.edu/rose.
Museum of Fine Arts
We love underdogs, but lately the MFA has reminded us why it’s the establishment. It has earned its bona fides with shows of trippy hippie fashion, action-packed samurai armor, John Singer Sargent watercolors, and a thematic exploration of the color pink. Its of-the-moment survey of photographs taken by women from Iran and the rest of the Arab world was proof that the august institution does new well, too. After eye-popping 19th-century quilts and a sampler of that sensitive Baroque scoundrel Caravaggio this spring, the Magna Carta, which paved the way for modern democracy, arrived on July 2. The underdogs might wanna get a move on. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 2115, mfa.org.
Institute of Contemporary Art
You don’t have to be an art lover to appreciate the grandeur of a wedding at the ICA. With skyhigh ceilings and swaths of glass (to say nothing of the city and harbor views), the museum’s customizable event spaces are truly in a league of their own. But it’s not just the architecture that stands out; with artfully prepared cuisine from the seasoned wedding vets at the Catered Affair, the ICA’s exclusive caterer, you’ll be more than satisfied even if you don’t duck out to enjoy the galleries (although you totally should). 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston, MA 02210, icaboston.org.
Museum of Fine Arts
With its late-night programming, new contemporary exhibits (the recent blockbuster Takashi Murakami show), and a thriving social media presence, the MFA has been making a big play to attract the next generation of art aficionados this year. And so far? It’s been a roaring success. The museum recently received national attention, too, thanks to its newest hire: a bug-sniffing Weimaraner named Riley. He protects the MFA’s precious works from pests and moths—and is also excellent at mugging for the camera. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.