Fitchburg Art Museum’s BIG Picture exhibition of over-sized photographs includes Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Untitled (Balloons), Coney Island NYC.
Area art museums are gradually re-opening, and visitors can expect to find multiple new regulations for safe visiting. In general, controlled entry and limited crowds should offer a safe experience—and a needed antidote to hectic topical events.
All information was gathered online or from press releases, so check for updated information before heading out for a visit. Hours are often limited, and access monitored. Most museums are requiring advanced online registration. Wear a mask, and observe each institution’s social distance protocols.
MetroWest
Framingham’s Danforth Art Museum (danforth.framingham.edu) has three exhibitions open for visitors: Rebecca Hutchins’ multimedia “Midnight Blooms”; Katherine Gulla’s “Passage,” in various media; and Catherine Smith’s sculptural installation “A Cabinet of Curiosities.”
Lincoln’s deCordova (decordova.org) has opened its indoor galleries, and its sculpture park grounds offer safe and anxiety-free art viewing, with several new installations. Advance passes necessary.
The Fitchburg Art Museum (fitchburgartmuseum.org) shows “The BIG Picture,” a group exhibition of oversized photographs. The Worcester Art Museum (worcesterart.org) opened to the public Oct. 7; visitors (reserve tickets online) have one month to experience “Beyond Midnight,” with artwork of Paul Revere, before it closes.
Wellesley College’s Davis Museum (wellesley.edu), like most of the campus museums, remains closed, although they do offer scheduled virtual visiting (call 781-283-2051). Likewise Boston College’s McMullen Museum (bc.edu). Waltham’s Rose Art Museum (brandeis.edu/rose) remains closed to the public, but multiple collections-based exhibitions remain available for virtual viewing. The Addison Gallery of American Art (addison.andover.edu) is closed. West Boylston’s Summer Star Wildlife Sanctuary’s trails are open for hiking (summerstarwildlife.wordpress.com), and its small exhibition space hosts nature paintings by Teri Malo.
Brockton’s Fuller Craft Museum (fullercraft.org) is open, and has multiple exhibitions on view, including Stephanie Cole’s multimedia “Secular Cathedral.”
Boston
Openings for marquee exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts, featuring works of Basquiat (Oct. 18) and Monet (Nov. 15), would normally be blockbuster museum news. Both exhibitions (mfa.org) should still make it to anyone’s art-viewing calendar—and may be more friendly to viewers, thanks to limited crowds. The MFA offers timed entry, with some galleries closed off.
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (gardnermuseum.org) has its Sargent exhibition of drawings, “Boston’s Apollo,” on view through Oct. 12—so hurry. Advance tickets to enter the museum are for sale online.
MIT’s List Visual Arts Center (listart.mit.edu) is closed. The Harvard Art Museums (harvardartmuseums.org) remain closed through the end of 2020.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (icaboston.org) is open, with multiple thought-provoking exhibitions, as usual. Its new East Boston Watershed space is currently being used as a food distribution site. A survey exhibition of American artist Sterling Ruby closes Oct. 12, but there are many galleries open.
Berkshires
MASS MoCA (massmoca.org) has timed entry (reserve online), and with its 250,000 square feet of gallery space, represents a brilliant chance to see art while socially distanced. The museum has at least a dozen exhibitions, although the Anselm Kiefer show will remain closed through next spring. The Norman Rockwell Museum (nrm.org) also has timed entry, and special hours for seniors and immunocompromised visitors.
Williamstown’s Clark Art Institute (clarkart.edu) has timed entry for its exhibitions, which include Ground/Work, a new outdoor space opening in October. Ground/Work includes installations by Jennie C. Jones, Analia Saban, Eva LeWitt and others. The Williams College Museum of Art (artmuseum.williams.edu) is closed.
North Shore
October means crazy time in Salem, when the entire town seems to be in costume. At the least, everyone should be wearing some kind of mask this year. The Peabody Essex Museum (pem.org) offers “The Salem Witch Trials 1692,” revisiting the macabre events that created Salem’s identity as a Halloween destination. On Thanksgiving weekend PEM’s new South Asian gallery will open, featuring the fascinating Herwitz collection of contemporary art from India.
Salem’s Punto Urban Art Museum (puntourbanartmuseum.org) now has 75 large-scale murals, and offers an al fresco chance to see art and stay safe.
Babson Ellery Houses, pre-museum days.
Gloucester’s Cape Ann Museum (capeannmuseum.org) has recently reopened to the public. “Odds Were Against Me” is an exhibition of women sculptors—including Anna Huntington and Katharine Lane Weems—in commemoration of the centenary of the 19th amendment. CAM’s new Museum Green, a collections space (the James Center) with public access, has opened as well. Sitting adjacent to the Rte. 128 entry to Cape Ann, just off Grant Circle, the James Center might become the new face of CAM.
The Cape Ann Museum’s new James Center, looking toward the Babson-Ellery (now White-Ellery) Houses.
Rockport Art Association and Museum (rockportartassn.org) has its Experimental Group show “Unexpected 13” on view for two weeks, beginning Oct. 15. The North Shore Art Association (nsarts.org) remains closed, but thumbnails of all the galleries are available online. The Rocky Neck Art Colony (rockyneckartcolony.org) offers changing online exhibitions.
Keith Powers covers music and the arts for Gannett New England, Opera News and Leonore Overture. Follow @PowersKeith; email to keithmichaelpowers@gmail.com.