Memorial Art Gallery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Memorial Art Gallery

South facade of the main gallery
Established	1913
Location	500 University Ave Rochester, NY 14607
Type	Art museum
Collection size	12,000 works of art
Visitors	238,082 (2017 - 2018)
Public transit access	Stop #3 (University Avenue/Prince Street) RTS route 18/19 - 18X/19X University

The Memorial Art Gallery is a cool art museum in Rochester, New York. It opened in 1913. This museum is part of the University of Rochester. It sits on the southern side of the university's old campus. The gallery is a main spot for art in the area. It hosts two big events: the Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition and the Clothesline Festival.

History of the Gallery

The Memorial Art Gallery was built to remember James George Averell. He was the grandson of Hiram Sibley. James passed away when he was only 26 years old. His mother, Emily Sibley Watson, wanted to honor him. She looked for a special way to do this for many years.

At the same time, Rush Rhees was the president of the University of Rochester. He was looking for people to help grow the university. He wanted to add new buildings to the campus. As early as 1905, Rhees had an art gallery on his campus map. The Rochester Art Club also wanted a gallery. This club was a big part of the art scene back then. They supported the idea of creating the gallery.

The gallery officially became a part of the university in 1912. It has its own board that looks after its art and programs. Rush Rhees put together the first board in November 1912. George L. Herdle, who led the Art Club, was on this board. The gallery first opened its doors on October 8, 1913.

The very first art show was put together by George Herdle. It showed modern American paintings. Many of these paintings were for sale. They were borrowed from artists or art dealers. In its early years, the gallery did not have money to buy art. So, these shows were a chance for people to buy art. Then, they would give their new art to the gallery. This is how the gallery started its permanent collection. Some important early gifts included [Golden Carnival] by Willard Metcalf and [Oxen on the Beach] by Joaquín Sorolla.

George Herdle planned many art shows. New exhibitions would change every month. One important show in 1914 showed the first Kodachrome two-color process. In 1919, there was a solo show by George Bellows that caused some talk. The Rochester Art Club also held its yearly shows at the gallery. In the early days, rich families like the Sibleys and Watsons would lend their art for summer shows.

George Herdle died too soon in 1922. His daughter, Gertrude L. Herdle, then became the museum's director. She worked there for 40 years! Her other daughter, Isabel C. Herdle, also worked at the museum. She started in 1932 and helped with the art collection.

Today, the gallery gets most of its money from its members. It also gets support from the University of Rochester. Public money from Monroe County and the New York State Council on the Arts also helps.

Where the Art Comes From (Provenance)

Provenance means knowing the history of an artwork. It tells you where the art came from. The Memorial Art Gallery has many amazing pieces. They came from different important collections. Here are some examples:

• George Eastman's collection: He owned about 60 old paintings. These included works from British, Dutch, American, and French artists. One famous painting is Rembrandt's Portrait of a Young Man in an Armchair.
• The Encyclopedia Britannica collection: This collection had American art from the 1900s.
• The Charles Rand Penney collection.
• Ancient Egyptian and Eastern Mediterranean items: These came from Herbert Ocumpaugh. He was a businessman in the 1800s.
• Ancient items from the Near East: These were from Frederic Grinnell Morgan.
• English and European silver: These pieces are from the 1600s to the 1800s. They came from Ernest Woodward, who inherited the Jell-O fortune.
• The gallery also has over 500 items from the Sibley and Watson families. These pieces were collected over four generations.

Art Collection Highlights

The gallery has a huge permanent collection. It includes about 12,000 art pieces. You can see works by famous artists like Monet, Cézanne, Matisse, Homer, and Cassatt. There are also pieces by modern artists like Wendell Castle, Albert Paley, and Helen Frankenthaler.

Here are some of the artworks you can find:

• Blue Prism Painting I by Josiah McElheny, made in 2014.
• Breaking the Pose by Jerome Witkin, made in 1986.
• Colonel Nathaniel Rochester by John James Audubon, painted before 1831.
• Crested Swans by John Scholl, around 1910.
• Harem Scene by Daniel Israel, from 1895-1900.
• Interior of a Gothic Church by Paul Vredeman de Vries, from 1595.
• Interior of a Mosque by Jean-Léon Gérôme, from 1890-1899. This is the only painting from Hiram Sibley's first collection still at the gallery.
• On a French River by Emma Lampert Cooper.
• Portrait of a Young Man in an Armchair by Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn, around 1660.
• Seer by Helen Frankenthaler, made in 1980.
• Seer Bonnet XVI (Sarah Ann) by Angela Ellsworth, from 2010-2011.
• Statue of Venus Obliterated by Infinity Nets by Yaoyi Kusama, made in 1998.
• The Apparition of the Virgin to St. Hyacinth by El Greco, around 1605-1610. This was the first artwork bought with money from the gallery's Marion Stratton Gould fund.
• The Entombment by Luca Giordano, from 1650-1653.
• The Fable of Fox and Heron by Frans Snyders, around 1630-1640.
• The Sunset Scene by Tiffany Studios, after 1915.
• The Wanderer by George Grosz, made in 1943.
• The West Wind by Thomas Ridgeway Gould.
• Three Fujins by Hung Liu, made in 1995.
• Woman Fixing Her Hair by Elizabeth Catlett.

Community Events

The gallery does more than just show art. It also offers classes and learning programs. Plus, it hosts two big events for the community: the Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition and the Clothesline Festival.

• The Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition is a competition held every two years. Artists from 27 counties in western New York can enter their work. Famous guest judges have included Charles E. Burchfield and John Bauer. Past winners include Wendell Castle and Albert Paley. This event started in 1938. It grew from the Rochester Art Club's yearly shows.
• The Clothesline Festival is an outdoor art show. Visitors can buy art directly from artists from New York state. There's also live music and fun activities for families. The gallery started this festival in 1957. It has always been very popular. It also helps the gallery earn money.

Gallery Spaces

See also

• List of university art museums and galleries in New York State

Images for kids

• 

  The Gallery main entrance, also showing the Cutler Union