Memorial Art Gallery — Attraction in City of Rochester

We recently revisited Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) and once again were impressed by both its strengths and weaknesses. On the plus side, it is perhaps the only attempt at an encyclopedic art installation between essentially the Hudson River Valley (the Loeb at Vassar, although much smaller, has a much finer collection in a brighter space) and Cleveland, which has one of the world's great encyclopedic collections. The installation of so-called American art contains many fine works, despite being in cramped underground galleries without natural light. That the historical U.S. galleries flow into two corridors of contemporary works helps extend and deepen the narrative as well, although bits of U.S. folk and decorative art are oddly placed around the elevator to the second floor, excluded from direct dialogue with other currents in the arts. The main historic galleries upstairs attempt to trace art history from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, through Western Europe of the 1800s, and then jump to an at best eclectic selection of art from Asian cultures. Unfortunately, despite having some beautiful spaces, including the central fountain court, whose fountain to be sure has long been shut-off, but which now has a large Baroque organ which happily is the subject of regular (free with gallery admission) performances by musicians affiliated with Rochester's Eastman School of Music, unfortunately, the collection is composed primarily of works by lesser lights among the artist community of each period represented, or when a "name artist" is present, largely by tertiary works. Apparently the original donors, notably George Eastman, lacked for good taste or knowledgeable art advisers. MAG also has an active special exhibition program, primarily utilizing a large lower-level space dedicated to their docents. Exhibitions are professionally installed, but not entirely fulfilling. For example, on our most recent visit the main special installation consisted of highlights from the currently closed for renovation Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK. Works were nicely installed, but didn't overcome the limitations inherent in the Gilcrease's collection. A secondary small special exhibition space featured works on paper by two historical local artists, M. Louise Stowell and Harvey Ellis, but unless you arrived informed about them, you learned very little from the exhibition. No biographical information was provided, although at least in Ellis' case there is a full length scholarly biographical volume in print from which meaningful wall labels could have been easily composed. And since the material was drawn from the University's own Library and Museum collections, one would hope that more substantive cataloguing would have occurred for works they've held for the better part of a decade. And for both exhibitions, the lack of visible collaboration with other area cultural institutions whose holdings feature related material was troubling. The MAG does offer free parking on its nicely landscaped grounds, and across the interior courtyard from the Museum in a U. of Rochester building is a café run by an independent restauranteur which we enjoyed when we stopped in for lunch some years ago. The MAG also has a gift shop. Although definitely a resource for the local community, MAG is not generally a...

Wow, I love this art museum! We were in town for the weekend and happened across the pride event on Reddit (thank you, whoever posted that!)

We were kind of confused when we walked in (several people were standing in front of the doors to the exhibits for some reason??) so we ended up doing a full loop of the building and seeing the beautiful areas on the other side of the building. We also saw the gift shop, and I thought it was just delightful that most (if not all!) of the things for sale were by local artists? I’ve seen a fraction of this at art museums in other cities, but it seems that MAG really leans into this, which is so wonderful, and truly what an art museum should be doing!

The exhibits were wonderful and varied. I’ve got an issue with my foot, and right at the point that I got really tired, there were stools for use! Bathrooms were plentiful, clean, and gave a delightful vintage vibe.

Truly, my only complaint is that employees/volunteers seemed insistent at standing at every (glass!) door, ignoring those behind it trying to get through. At one point, there are two glass doors leading to/from the exhibits. I had cracked one open (after a light knock!) to ask the employee obliviously standing in front of it to move. Another patron came up, grabbed the door from me, then got into an intense discussion with both women blocking the doors- I don’t even know what this discussion was about. I was saying, “pardon me! Excuse me! Can I open this door please??” They all ignored me to have a discussion with this woman. I have two safety related jobs- YOU CANNOT BLOCK THE ONLY EXIT LIKE THAT. I know yall don’t want food and beverages in the exhibit hall and I get that- I work in an old theater where these are also not allowed. At NO point are our ushers allowed to block the doors. There were two doors!! What if there was an emergency and you just have people trapped in this space?? If you don’t want the flags YOU ARE HANDING OUT FOR FREE in the exhibit hall- DONT HAND THEM OUT AS PEOPLE CHECK IN??

I was going to find someone to point this out to as I left, but then every single path to an exit was completely blocked. I couldn’t even get out of the front doors, someone was standing in front of those as well, facing the street! Are yall trying to get a fire code violation?? You had that whole huge sunken area in which to put tables, and you put them blocking major exits?? Why are you positioning employees in front of exit doors, away from traffic? Someone needs to be talked to and soon. If yall have an emergency, your patrons will be the ones who pay for your lack of caring.

I loved this museum. The variety, the exhibits, the building, the sculptures outside, the attention to local artists, the CARE in this museum is palpable and beautiful - except when it comes to the care of their patrons. You cannot block people in a building at MULTIPLE exits. Please do some building-wide safety training. This was horrifying. I genuinely hope someone with some sense sees this and implements some training. If there had been an issue that night, people...

I have visited the MAG twice. I'll visit again. I started with brunch at the Downtown Brown Hound, a delightful dining room that has too little table space. I followed up with visits to the early American paintings that have always been my favorites. I finally made it upstairs. Monet has three works on display now, one from his youth, his middle age and his advancing age. The same room shows great items from the Barbizon School, a school from which Monet took his inspiration.

More than most museums, MAG has beautiful "goose eggs". Check the Georgia O'Keefe painting displayed to show images, front and back. Read about the derivative Cropsey knock off, based upon an engraving of a Cropsey original. Marvel at the self portrait of e.e. Cummings. Where did the museum find that gem? I enjoyed a short concert on the antique pipe organ in Fountain Court, a saved artifact that turned up in a Florentine flea market.

Bill Viola's Martyrs went on exhibit in October, four films of actors representing the act of martyrdom, suffering the effects of Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. The museum has chosen the perfect environment for exhibiting these films that run at the same time. I preferred to regard these in silence although my fellow patrons responses in a more verbal manner. Sadly, this exhibition will not be permanent as of...