concerts

Boston Museum of Fine Arts is a privately-funded museum of fine arts. It was founded in 1870 and opened to the public in 1876. Originally housed in Cobbly Square, the museum moved in 1909 to its current location in another district in Boston. The building was designed by American architect Guy Lowell, and features a grand dome with ceiling paintings by the American painter John Singer Sergeant. The most recent addition to the building is its west wing designed by a Chinese-American architect and completed in 1981. The museum is divided into nine departments including classical, ancient Egyptian, decorative arts and sculpture, paintings, contemporary and the most remarkable one, textiles. The collections range from ancient history to the present and include such pieces as the Silver Liberty Bowl, portraits of George Washington and Martha Washington, painted by Gilbert Charles Steward and a number of works by French painter Clarde Monet. The gallery’s exhibition space is 19,137m2. About 800,000 people visit the museum each year. In addition to its galleries, collections and traveling exhibitions, the museum provides programs that include classes, lectures, concerts and films for adults, children and families.