Can Boston shake its reputation for being too conservative for a vibrant contemporary art sector?
With the opening this fall of the Museum of Fine Arts’s new contemporary wing, plus the 75th anniversary special events of the Institute for Contemporary Art, Boston boosters are hoping so. (That’s Jill Medvedow, ICA’s director, at left, and a glimpse of the MFA’s contemporary wing below.)
And truth be told, there is more going on in Boston than the city gets credit for. I lay some of it out in an article in today’s New York Times. If I’d gone a little further beyond the city — to the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis, the de Cordova Sculpture Park and Museum, plus other college museums — the case would strengthen a bit more.
It’s not just a matter of putting the art out there, of course, and the MFA, for one, is devoting its Thursday nights this fall to a series, Contemporary Thursdays, with discussions about the new art on view and other activities related to the wing.
The ICA, originally an offshoot of the Museum of Modern Art, is adding sizzle to its 75th anniversary gala this Friday with 75 Artists for 75 Years — an opportunity to buy a work by one of artists who have exhibited at the museum over the years.
Those donating include Paul Chan, Francesca DiMattio, Mona Hatoum, Leslie Hewitt, Charles LeDray, Josiah McElheny, Catherine Opie, David Salle, Swoon, Stephen Tourlentes, William Wegman, and Rachel Perry Welty. Each can be purchased for $3,000, with proceeds going to the ICA. The catch? It’s a grab bag –buyers don’t know what they’re buying until the gala, when numbers will be drawn and matched to tickets.
So you’ve got to love all contemporary art if you’re going to participate — or maybe there will be a lot of trading afterwards.
Boston still lacks a vibrant gallery scene, but its base of contemporary collectors is growing, and given the city’s proximity to New York, I’m not sure the gallery sector is all that important in Boston.
Photo Credits: Courtesy of the New York Times