Free Community Day on Sunday, September 7, Honoring Rogers’ Legacy of “Opening Doors,” is Reason #1
BOSTON, MA (August 18, 2014)—This fall, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), celebrates the 20th anniversary of Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director, with a range of special programs and events, including an array of “20 Reasons to Visit.” The longest-tenured Director in the Museum’s 144-year history, Rogers marks two decades at the MFA on September 1. A free MFA Community Day: Celebrating 20 Years of Director Malcolm Rogers will be held on Sunday September 7, which follows a weekend of exclusive events, including a gala (sold out) and a lively MFA by Moonlight party on Saturday, September 6 (sold out). Special member events, exhibitions and public lectures will encourage visitors to come back for exciting activities all month long. Social media channels will use the hashtag #MR20 to highlight the festivities surrounding Rogers’ anniversary, with fans and followers invited to participate on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Free Community Day
Community has been a cornerstone of Rogers’ 20-year tenure. Over the years he has increased free open houses and cultural celebrations at the MFA, along with eliminating admission fees for children 17 and under. To mark this commitment, the Museum will offer a free “MFA Community Day: Celebrating 20 Years of Director Malcolm Rogers” on Sunday, September 7. Starting at 10 am, Rogers will greet the public at the Huntington Avenue doors on the MFA’s Bank of America Plaza. Later, he will welcome visitors at noon in the Museum’s glass Shapiro Family Courtyard. The free open house will feature 20 things to do, including family activities, special art-making sessions and a performance led by artist Shinique Smith, whose solo exhibition, Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER, will be on view in the Henry and Lois Foster Gallery. MFA partner Diablo Glass School—a local art studio based in Mission Hill—will demonstrate the art of glass blowing outside the Huntington Avenue entrance. A full schedule of events, including special performances by Revolution of Hope—a local youth orchestra from Roxbury–is available on mfa.org. MFA Community Day: Celebrating 20 Years of Ann and Graham Gund Director Malcolm Rogers is supported by The Malcolm Rogers 20th Anniversary Fund.
Gala Event and Evening Celebrations
A sold-out gala event on Saturday, September 6, is co-chaired by Honorary Trustee Ann Gund and her husband Graham, Honorary Trustee George Behrakis and his wife Margo, and Bank of America Global Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer Anne Finucane. Additionally, Governor Deval L. Patrick and First Lady Diane B. Patrick and Mayor Martin J. Walsh are honorary chairs. Proceeds from the gala benefit education, access and community programs at the MFA—highlighting Rogers’ commitment to these areas. Tickets are currently on sale for a late-night party, “MFA by Moonlight,” starting at 9:30 pm ($200). Music by a special guest DJ, dancing in the Calderwood Courtyard and late night cocktails and bites keep the celebration going into the evening. The Gala is generously supported by Bank of America. Wine and champagne generously gifted by Martignetti Companies.
20 Reasons to Visit
There are fun activities seven days a week at the Museum, and this September visitors can look forward to “20 Reasons to Visit” the MFA. Families can travel back in time in three new classical galleries dedicated to Wine, Poets and Performers in Ancient Greece, or stop by the recently opened exhibition, Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER. For an artful way to start the month, MFA First Fridays offer cocktails, music and conversation on September 5. From new exhibitions such as Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen to concerts, Drawing in the Galleries, shopping and more, visitors will find plenty of reasons to return this fall. The complete list will be featured on mfa.org and social media channels.
Member Guest Days
From Thursday–Sunday, September 25–28, special events and activities for MFA members feature the Museum’s renovated Ancient Greek galleries. Members will be among the first to experience the new interactive, multimedia displays, which explore the Museum’s world-renowned collection of objects relating to The Iliad and The Odyssey as well as the Greek theater and symposium. Sunday, September 28 marks a special Member Family Day, with Rogers greeting visitors as they participate in tours, story hour and art making. The opening of the Greek galleries marks a milestone in Rogers’ transformation of the Museum—102 of 147 galleries will have been built or renovated during his tenure. Members always enjoy unlimited visits to the MFA, allowing them to explore all “20 Reasons to Visit” this September.
Public Programs–Lectures, Concerts and more
The Museum always offers an array of public programming, including MFA Playdates for toddlers, studio art classes and film series. In honor of Boston’s diverse cultural institutions and Rogers’ love of the piano, a special edition of “Sound Bites: Nancy Lee Clark Concert Series” on September 11 will feature pianists from the Boston Conservatory, New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in the Edward H. Linde Gallery. Additionally, in the coming months Rogers will present two lectures reflecting on his time at the Museum. On October 29 and 30, he will look back at 20 personas that have influenced his thinking about museums and the MFA during his tenure. Due to popular demand, Rogers will offer the lecture twice, allowing visitors to hear about the influence of the volunteer, the politician, the donor, the colleague, the educator, the artist and more. On February 25, 2015, he will lecture on 20 significant acquisitions of works of art made by the Museum over the past 20 years.
Malcolm Rogers–Biography
Malcolm Rogers became Director of the MFA in September 1994, a position later endowed as the Ann and Graham Gund Director. Rogers became the longest-serving director in MFA history in May 2014, and on September 1, he marks his 20th anniversary. He has transformed the Museum in many ways, including enhancing arts education and community programs, expanding the Museum’s encyclopedic collection, presenting innovative exhibitions, enlarging the MFA’s campus and renovating and expanding the Museum’s historic building. Rogers’ initiatives have been guided by the MFA’s mission to serve a variety of people through direct encounters with works of art. This has included renovating and reopening both of the Museum’s historic entrances, which had been closed to the public for many years. In addition, Rogers eliminated admission fees for children 17 and younger, extended the Museum’s hours to 7-days a week (among the longest of any American art museum), and instituted a series of free community days and cultural events. More than 1 million visitors a year are exposed to infinite possibilities for education and inspiration at the Museum. Under Rogers’ leadership, the Museum underwent a transformative building renovation and expansion, including the creation of the Art of the Americas Wing and Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard, which opened in 2010. He also oversaw the renovation of the I.M. Pei-designed Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, which opened in 2011. Rogers has expanded the Museum’s encyclopedic collection with nearly 68,000 acquisitions, and more than 375 exhibitions have been presented during his tenure.
Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER is sponsored by Celebrity Cruises. Presented with generous support from the Robert and Jane Burke Fund for Exhibitions, The Contemporaries, and the Callaghan Family Fund for Contemporary Exhibitions. Additional support provided by the Eugenie Prendergast Memorial Fund, made possible by a grant from Jan and Warren Adelson.
Hollywood Glamour: Fashion and Jewelry from the Silver Screen is sponsored by Neil Lane Jewelry. Additional support from the David and Roberta Logie Fund for Textile and Fashion Arts and the Loring Textile Gallery Exhibition Fund.
Performance Art at the MFA is supported by Lorraine Bressler.
Drawing in the Galleries is made possible by The Lowell Institute.
Open seven days a week, hours for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), are Saturday through Tuesday, 10 am–4:45 pm; and Wednesday through Friday, 10 am–9:45 pm. Admission (which includes one repeat visit within 10 days) is $25 for adults and $23 for seniors and students age 18 and older, and includes entry to all galleries and special exhibitions. Admission is free for University Members and youths age 17 and younger. Wednesday nights after 4 pm admission is by voluntary contribution (suggested donation $25). MFA Members are always admitted for free. The MFA is recognized for the quality and scope of its collection, which includes an estimated 500,000 objects. The Museum has more than 140 galleries displaying its encyclopedic collection, which includes Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa; Art of the Ancient World; Prints, Drawings, and Photographs; Textile and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments. The Museum’s mobile MFA Guide is available at ticket desks and the Sharf Visitor Center for $5, members; $6, non-members; and $4, youths. The Museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Patriots’ Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For more information, visit mfa.org or call 617.267.9300. The MFA is located on the Avenue of the Arts at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115.
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