Best of Western Mass: Art Museums

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Here I am checking out a painting by Helen Frankenthaler in the Smith College Museum of Art

Western Mass is a culturally rich region with plenty to offer, and its beautifully curated art museums add to the area's splendor. Over the past few weeks, I visited five of the region’s most favored museums: the Smith College Museum of Art, the Mead Art Museum, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Springfield Quadrangle Art Museums, and the University Museum of Contemporary Art.

Smith College Museum of Art (SCMA)

This academic museum at Smith College in Northampton houses over 27,000 works of art, showcasing a diverse range of cultures, artistic styles, and periods. With four floors of galleries, visitors can easily spend hours exploring the collection. What sets this museum apart from others I've visited is its emphasis on engaging viewers with the art. As you walk through the galleries, you'll find writing prompts on the walls that encourage you to reflect on your feelings about the pieces. The museum provides paper and pencils, allowing visitors to share their thoughts and insights for others to see. My favorite gallery was Worlds in Process: Art from the SCMA Collection which combines varying styles of art in different mediums. Each gallery was wonderful, but this one was especially enjoyable.

Mead Art Museum

Located just minutes down the road from UMass Amherst is the Mead Art Museum, which showcases 20,000 works of art dating back to the 8th century BCE. The museum hosts two permanent exhibitions and a rotation of traveling and original installations. This fall, the Mead showcased three Ukrainian artists — Oleksandr Bohomazov, Alexander Archipenko, and Vasyl Yermilov — who were all prominent during the country’s cultural renaissance in the early 20th century. A bonus of this museum is the Rotherwas Room, an open study space that invites students to gather and facilitate discussions.

Mass MoCA

The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) is famous for its expansive collections, showcased both indoors and outdoors. Originally, Mass MoCA was home to a saw and grist mill, but has since been transformed into the museum we know today. One of the exhibits, All Those Vanished Engines by Stephen Vitiello, is a relic of the past that uses sound art to bring viewers back to the days when the space functioned as a boiler house. When you visit, plan to stay for at least two to three hours, as there is a lot to see. When I visited, my favorite exhibition was Into the Light by James Turrell, which alters your perception of light and color. Turrell uses light as a sculptural medium in a way I had never seen before. If you’re considering a trip to Mass MoCA, these pieces definitely make it worthwhile. Photography is not allowed in his exhibit, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself.

The Springfield Quadrangle Museums

Located about 30 minutes from UMass is the Springfield Quadrangle, home to five different museums, including those focused on art, science, history, and, of course, the Dr. Seuss Museum. The Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts was my favorite in the complex, as it offered a wide variety of collections. Here, you’ll find French, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, and American art, with the special addition of Grainstack by Claude Monet. Most of the art is from the 18th and 19th centuries, except for the contemporary art exhibit on the first floor. Generally, I’m not as drawn to contemporary art, but this exhibit took me by surprise, and I truly loved each piece. The other art museum is the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, which houses a large collection of Asian and Middle Eastern art in various mediums. However, one room in particular holds 51 American paintings displayed in the style of Victorian-era painting salons.

University Museum of Contemporary Arts

Photos courtesy of University Museum of Contemporary Art's Instagram

While this museum is closed during the summer months, it reopens in September for the fall season. The University Museum of Contemporary Art is located on the lower level of the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts and offers beautifully curated exhibits. In September, a collection by Courtney M. Leonard was featured in the museum. Leonard's pieces "use painting, sculpture, and video to explore the life and kinship ties of Staccato, a North Atlantic Right Whale killed by a ship strike in 1999, whose remains are housed in the UMass Natural History Collections.” Be sure to visit this museum, as we are fortunate to have it right here on our campus!

Western Massachusetts is truly a treasure trove of cultural and artistic experiences. From the immersive galleries at the Smith College Museum of Art to the innovative exhibits at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, each visit has deepened my appreciation for diverse artistic expressions. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, these museums offer a profound glimpse into the world of art that is both inspiring and enlightening.