MFA Boston Will Reopen September 26 with Art of the Americas Galleries, "Women Take the Floor," "Black Histories, Black Futures,"…

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), will reopen on Saturday, September 26, welcoming the community back for one-of-a-kind encounters with works of art. First to reopen will be 31 galleries of the Art of the Americas Wing, featuring the work of North, Central and South American and Caribbean artists, and including some of the MFAs most beloved objects. Two special exhibitionsWomen Take the Floorand the teen-curatedBlack Histories, Black Futureswill also reopen, offering visitors another chance to experience these cornerstone shows of the MFAs 150th anniversary year. The Museum will also unveilin short order three new and highly anticipated exhibitions that were originally slated to open in the spring:Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation(October 18, 2020May 16, 2021),Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression(November 15, 2020February 28, 2021) andCzanne: In and Out of Time(November 11, 2020February 28, 2021).Member Appreciation Days will take place September 23-25.

Museums play a crucial role in providing spaces for reflection, solace and inspiration. Were grateful to welcome Bostonians back to their MFA and bring a shared experience of art into the lives of many once again. This wasand will continue to bea challenging time for all of us, but we remain guided by our belief in the power of bringing art and people together, said Matthew Teitelbaum, Ann and Graham Gund Director.

The MFA will reopen at a reduced capacity in the interest of prioritizing the health and safety of visitors and staff.Advancetimed-entry ticketswill be required for all visitorsmembers and nonmembers alikeand will be released on a monthly basis (approximately two weeks before the start of each month, following a 24-hour member presale).

When the Museum reopens, visitors will have the chance to reconnect with hundreds of important works throughout four floors of the Art of the Americas Wing. Spanning 3,000 years, from the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica to the modern art capitals of Mexico City and New York, the objects found in these galleries embody the innate human desire to create meaning and beauty through art and crafta drive shared by Indigenous peoples, colonial settlers and immigrants, the free and the enslaved, artists trained and those self-taught. A new text panel at the Wings entrancecomposed by curators during the MFAs closurewelcomes visitors with a more inclusive vision of the arts of the Americas, a global interpretive approach that questions dominant historical narratives, challenges biases and seeks to highlight previously underrepresented cultures and artists. Later in the fall, two paintings by artist T.C. Cannon (Kiowa/Caddo), on loan from a local collector, will also be installed at the Wings entrance.

Over the coming months, new installations and careful reassessments will build upon initiatives launched in late 2019 with the addition of Charles Bird Kings portrait of the Pawnee leader Peskelechaco to the New Nation Gallery, which emphasizes that North America was home to a constellation of powerful Indigenous nations when the United States was founded. Visitors will also find updated labels reflecting fresh perspectives on iconic visitor favorites such as Thomas SullysPassage of the Delaware(1819), John Singleton CopleysWatson and the Shark(1778) and Paul ReveresSons of Liberty Bowl(1768); and the installation of an empty frame in the Boston on the Eve of Revolution Gallery, acknowledging those who contributed to this nations founding but by virtue of their race, class or preferences were largely left out of the visual record of the time. The Art of the Americas Multilingual Interpretation Initiative begins in September, soon bringing interpretation in Spanish, Chinese and Kryol (Haitian Creole)the three languages most commonly spoken in Boston after Englishas well as an Algonquian language, into the Wings opening gallery.

The MFAs upcoming fall exhibitions will mark milestone moments for the 150-year-old Museum. The groundbreakingWriting the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generationis the first major exhibition to chart Jean-Michel Basquiats relationship to early hip-hop culture, uniquely positioning him among his friends and fellow artists of color at the forefront of post-graffiti, a transformative moment in American art. And for the first time in a generation,Monet and Boston: Lasting Impressionassembles the Museums entire collection of 35 paintings by the beloved Impressionist mastericonic works that capture the beauty and mystery of the world around us. A concurrent exhibition,Czanne: In and Out of Time, places the paintings of Paul Czanne in conversation with those of his contemporaries, highlighting what made his art so distinctive when it was newand why it continues to fascinate today.Due to limited capacities,Writing the FutureandMonet and Bostonwill each require separate, timed-entry exhibition tickets($30 for nonmembers, free for members and youth) that include general admission. Wall texts and labels for the two exhibitions will be freely accessible via a new mobile app, and additional contentincluding videos and curated Spotify playlistscan be found on mfa.org.

Visitor info:mfa.org/visit.

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MFA Boston Will Reopen September 26 with Art of the Americas Galleries, "Women Take the Floor," "Black Histories, Black Futures,"...