The Community Arts Initiative allows the Museum to serve as an art and cultural resource within Boston-area communities. Now working with twelve community organizations, the Community Arts Initiative introduces youth to the Museum's collections and the art-making process, while also helping them understand how art can be an important part of their lives.
Program Details
Partnerships
The MFA currently partners with twelve community organizations including Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC), the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Sociedad Latina, United South End Settlements (USES), West End House Boys & Girls Club of Allston-Brighton, and Vine Street Community Center. Additionally, we are also proud to partner with six of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston: Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club, Charlestown Boys & Girls Club, Edgerley Family South Boston Boys & Girls Club, Gerald and Darlene Jordan Boys & Girls Club, Orchard Gardens Boys & Girls Club, and the Yawkey Boys & Girls Club of Roxbury.
Community Liaisons
Each of the twelve community partners is assigned an MFA staff member to act as a liaison between the Museum and the community organization. MFA Community Arts Liaisons work closely with community art directors and staff to promote and coordinate MFA programs, assist with events, and develop art projects at the Museum and community centers.
Learn more about our Liaisons.
Artist Project
The Artist Project is a collaboration between an experienced artist, the Museum of Fine Arts, and twelve after-school community organizations in the Boston area. The program is designed to engage children in the art-making process under the guidance of a Lead Artist.
Learn more about the Artist Project.
Current Project: “Our Family Portrait”
Call to Artists
Each year a new experienced artist with a passion for community arts plans and leads a project with children between the ages of six and twelve. The project engages children in a creative experience that connects with art from the Museum's collections. The final product is a collaborative work that reflects the voices and ideas of participating children and is exhibited in the Edward H. Linde Gallery (168) in the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art. The MFA provides the selected artist with a stipend and a budget for materials.