MassArt Art Museum

"Zoom out. What’s this place all about? Boston’s only free contemporary art museum, this two-gallery institution—known as MAAM (which is pronounced, playfully, as “ma’am”)—reopened in an overhauled two-story space in February of 2020, after a $12.5 million redo. Though much less known and certainly much smaller, it’s a bit like the InstItute of Contemporary Art across town, showing frequently changing displays of of-the-moment pieces, both large and small and in a variety of media, by artists working right now. A petite lobby and front plaza provide more space for creativity, as does the hands-on, art-studio-style maker space behind the front desk. Part of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (aka MassArt)—the first publicly funded art school in the country—the institution takes seriously its role as a teaching museum and is staffed largely by paid students. A museum's permanent collection is its defining feature: How was this one? MAAM has no permanent collection but instead mounts its own shows of borrowed work, organized by in-house or guest curators, or it brings in traveling shows or commissions site-specific installations from artists. Exhibits keep us coming back. What can we expect? The museum’s two white-walled gallery spaces exhibit a few temporary shows a year, with one up in each at a time. The second floor’s soaring, naturally lit, almost warehouse-like space especially impresses when curators devote it entirely to a site-specific installation by a single artist, such as the interactive sound piece by Jace Clayton that filled it not long ago or a 37-foot-tall, 3,000-pound octopus-like fabric piece by Joana Vasconcelos. What did you make of the crowd? Because the museum is free, you find folks here who’ve just happened in after happening by more than you might at institutions with paid admission and timed tickets or organized tours. Students are always around, as are folks visiting local colleges and universities, office jockeys on their lunch breaks, and art devotees tracking the latest in the contemporary art scene in Boston. On the practical tip, how were the facilities? The museum’s small size is an advantage here—it is indeed very easy to get around its two galleries. A staircase connects them, as does an elevator, and the second-floor gallery also has stairs up to a mezzanine. Diner booth—style benches and tables are set up for video installations on occasion, and both galleries have seating if you need to take a load off. Any guided tours worth trying? The museum’s student employees lead impromptu fifteen-minute gallery talks on Fridays and Saturdays at 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Gift shop: obligatory, inspiring—or skip it? If you’re looking for a souvenir, your best bet is to DIY. Head into the maker space behind the front desk and follow one of the prompts on hand to create something inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions. Is the café worth a stop? There’s no cafe on site, but if you’re keen to get some arty eating in, Café G at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is just around the corner, and you can dine there even without a ticket to the Gardner’s galleries. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged? Since it’s just two galleries—and there’s no cost to enter, so you don’t have to make sure you get your money’s worth—you could wander in for as little as 15 minutes, or even less, to cast a quick eye over each space, or to play in the maker space. If you have longer to spare, no need to budget much more than an hour."