Dear Friends,

It is always a pleasure for me to invite Museum members to join a Friends group at the MFA. The groups you’ll read about here offer a broad range of opportunities to engage with our extraordinary staff, as well as with outside scholars, artists, and individual collectors.

You needn't be an art expert to become a Friend. Joining is a way to indulge a new passion or learn more about a favorite collection. I do hope you'll join one or more of these groups and take pleasure in attaining a new level of art connoisseurship.

Don't wait—join today!

Malcolm Rogers,
Ann and Graham Gund Director

Participation in Friends groups is offered only to MFA members. Friends groups provide exceptional access to curatorial staff and other experts, behind-the-scenes visits, and travel to art fairs, museums, and private collections. Click on the links below to learn more about the groups or to sign up.

Your membership contribution directly benefits each department: funds will be applied to varied needs, including costs related to the restoration, framing, and display of new works, acquisitions credited as gifts from generous Friends, or even to sustain fundamental curatorial work. (Please note that costs associated with travel opportunities are in addition to your membership contribution.)

Friends Groups

Friends of African and Oceanic Art
The Friends of African and Oceanic Art foster appreciation and understanding of the vibrant, ingenious arts of Africa and the Pacific. Programs by Museum staff, eminent collectors, and distinguished scholars familiarize Friends with works of art in the collection, focus on connoisseurship, and present current interests in scholarship. Please visit the Friends of African and Oceanic Art page for more information and a list of upcoming events.

Friends of Asian Art
Friends of Asian Art presents programs that explore various aspects of traditional and contemporary art from several Asian countries. Programs highlight the Museum’s collection of Asian art, as well as special exhibitions, art from other institutions and galleries, artists, current scholarship, and contemporary art. Please visit the Friends of Asian Art page for more information and a list of upcoming events.

The Contemporaries
Membership in The Contemporaries gives you exclusive access to the contemporary art world, including trips to galleries and art fairs and private receptions with artists featured at the MFA. For more information and a list of events, please visit The Contemporaries page.

The Fashion Council
The Fashion Council offers members special events and trips that give exceptional insight into the world of fashion. Please visit The Fashion Council page for more information and a schedule of events.

Friends of Film
Be the first to see new releases such as The Young Victoria, Letters to Juliet, Love Ranch, and Mao's Last Dancer. Friends of Film provides essential support for the MFA's Film Program, one of the country's leading exhibitors of independent film, offering more than 500 screenings annually and featuring the finest in contemporary, classic, and international film. For more information and a schedule of upcoming events, visit the Friends of Film page.

Heritage Remixed
Become a founding member of the Heritage Remixed Friends Group, launching this year. Whether you are a member of the MFA’s other Friends Groups or you are relatively new to the Museum, take advantage of exclusive access and deeper connections to our comprehensive collection and renowned curators. Participate in inspiring tours and cross-cultural discussions about art historical intersections across time, culture, and media. Please visit the Heritage Remixed page for more information and a schedule of events.

Karolik Society—American Art
The Karolik Society offers special events, trips, and behind-the-scenes visits that provide exceptional insight into American art and the Art of the Americas department at the Museum. To learn more and see a schedule of events, please visit The Karolik Society page.

Laurel Society—Greek Art
The Laurel Society offers a unique opportunity to learn from experts about Greek and Roman art, to travel to ancient art exhibitions around the country, and to participate in events related to ancient Greek and Roman art and archaeology. Please visit The Laurel Society page for more information and a list of upcoming events.

Lotus Society—Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art
The Lotus Society offers a unique opportunity to connect with others who are united by their passion for Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern art; to travel to important art fairs, museums, and private collections; and to participate in exclusive behind-the-scenes tours and other programs led by curators and other experts in the field. To learn more, see The Lotus Society page.

Friends of Photography
Friends examine original photographs through lectures, discussions, gallery talks, and studio visits. Membership is extended to collectors, scholars, artists, and others who appreciate photography, who want to learn more, and who wish to support the acquisition of photographs at the Museum of Fine Arts. For more information and a schedule of events, please visit the Friends of Photography page.

Print and Drawing Club
The Print and Drawing Club makes available the great resources of the Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs through a program of lectures and gallery talks, as well as visits to local exhibitions, focusing on examining original prints, drawings, watercolors, and illustrated books. Please visit the Print and Drawing Club page for more information and a list of upcoming events.

Swan Society—Art of Europe
Named for James Swan, a noted Boston collector, the Swan Society serves as a support group for the Art of Europe department. Devoted to members' and curators' shared passion for European decorative arts, sculpture, and painting, Swan Society events allow for concerted looking at original works of art and dialogue between Museum professionals and members. The contributions offered by Swan Society participants sustain the Art of Europe department, providing funding for the essential work of cataloguing, research, publication, and exhibition development. For membership information and a schedule of events, please visit the Swan Society page.

Textile and Costume Society
The Textile and Costume Society offers stimulating events related to the collection of Textile and Fashion Arts. The Society provides opportunities for both learning and sharing through lectures, gallery tours, and field trips. Members become acquainted with the MFA's extraordinarily rich collection while supporting new acquisitions and departmental activities. Please visit the Textile and Costume Society page for more information and a list of upcoming events.