Company Profile
Danforth Museum of Art
Company Overview
The mission of the Danforth Museum of Art is to actively engage its communities within an intimate environment to experience, create, and celebrate the expressive qualities of art through exhibitions, educational programs, and studio art classes. Located in Framingham, Massachusetts, 20 miles west of Boston, the Museum occupies two floors of the original Framingham High School built in 1911. The first floor of the building contains eight galleries of varying sizes in which the Museum organizes changing exhibits by contemporary artists, a selection of works from the permanent collection, a semi-permanent study of the Museum’s special collection of the works of African American sculptor Meta Warrick Fuller, two galleries devoted to the arts and crafts of Native Americans.
On the second floor of the building, eight spacious classrooms are used to teach studio arts including drawing, painting, watercolor, beading, printmaking, and collage/mixed media. Classes are offered for all ages; pre-school through adults. In addition, a thriving ceramics program occupies space in the basement of the building. Both semester-long and one or two day workshops are offered. Classes are offered at all levels from beginner through advanced and professional development classes are offered to teachers for college credit. There is a gallery devoted to the art of children’s book illustration located on the second floor.
In addition to studio art education, the Danforth offers a range of Museum Education programs including the Native American and Meta Fuller tour programs for elementary school students, the Language of Art for ESL students, docent-led highlights and specialty tours for children and adults, and a pre-school Art Tells A Story Program. Each month, the Danforth offers a First Sunday Drop into Art for families, a collaboration between museum education and the studio art programs. Storytime, Bring Your Baby to the Museum and both an Adult and Teen Do-cent program round out the Museum’s Education offerings. All exhibits are also supported with a full complement of gallery talks, artist talks, films, demonstrations, book signings, and other ac-tivities.
Company History
Established in 1975 by a local group of educators, community activists and art lovers, the Danforth is an art museum and school whose primary purpose is to provide visual arts education through its collection of American art, and exhibitions and educational programming. Located 20 miles west of Boston in downtown Framingham, the Danforth is the only art museum in the MetroWest area and serves a diverse population of varied ethnic, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Each year the Danforth attracts more than 30,000 visitors from both Metrowest and all of New England. While the mission has not changed, the collection is now specifically focused on American art and recent exhibitions have explored the rich artistry of historical and contemporary expressionism.
With the adoption of a new strategic plan in September 2011, the Danforth is striving to more fully integrate its exhibition and studio art programs. All studio art class now visits the galleries as part of their class time. Themes and ideas explored in the exhibitions are being integrated into the studio art offerings. The Danforth is seeking new and innovative ways to bring these two activities closer together through thematic linkage of the exhibits, inviting exhibiting artists to give master classes and workshops, and other initiatives.
Benefits
One free Studio Art Class per semester
Free Membership at Friend Level - NARM benefit
Ticket and other offers through Boston Arts Marketing Association (BAMA)
Reciprocity and discounts offered by members of the HR Consortium of Mass. Cultural Institutions.
Reciprocity with New England Museum Assn. members (NEMA)