Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Munson
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Munson Museum of Art
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 310 Genesee St., Utica, New York |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1960 |
| Architect | Philip Johnson |
| Architectural style | International-style |
| NRHP reference No. | 10000727 |
| Added to NRHP | September 9, 2010 |
Munson, also known as the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, is a cool place in Utica, New York. It's a big center for fine arts that started way back in 1919. This institute has three main parts: an art museum, a performing arts center, and an art school.
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Munson Museum of Art
The Munson Museum of Art has many amazing artworks from all over the world. You can see these artworks in the special Munson Museum of Art Building. This building was designed by a famous architect named Philip Johnson. It was finished in 1960.
Building Design and History
The museum building has a unique "International-style" design. It looks like a big, windowless cube floating above the ground. This cool effect happens because the office areas below are set back in a dry ditch. The outside of the building is covered in bronze and dark Canadian granite.
Inside, there's a tall, two-story courtyard called the Edward Wales Root Sculpture Court. A skylight lets in lots of natural light. The building also has an auditorium where 271 people can sit. In 2010, this special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Fountain Elms Mansion
Right next to the museum is a beautiful old house called Fountain Elms. It's a Victorian-Italianate mansion from the Victorian era. This mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
Fountain Elms is home to Munson's collection of decorative arts. These are things like furniture, ceramics, and other beautiful objects. An education wing built in 1995 connects the mansion to the main Museum of Art building.
Art Collections and Rebranding
The museum has a large collection of art from Europe and America. One of the most famous artworks you can see there is the first set of paintings from Thomas Cole's series called The Voyage of Life. The second set of these famous paintings is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C..
In 2023, the museum decided to change its name to simply "Munson." This was part of an effort to make the name easier to remember. The museum president said that the old, longer name was hard for many people to recall.
Munson School of Art
The art school at Munson started in 1936. An organization called The Arts Guild of New York City moved its school to a renovated garage on the institute's grounds. It was first called the School of Related Arts and Sciences. It offered classes in visual arts, art history, and art philosophy.
PrattMWP Program
In 1999, Munson became a partner campus with the Pratt Institute. This partnership created a program called Pratt at Munson-Williams-Proctor, or PrattMWP. Students in this program can study for two years in Utica, New York. This is called a "Foundations Program."
After finishing the Foundations Program, students can then go to Pratt Institute's main campus in Brooklyn, New York. There, they complete their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The PrattMWP program is officially recognized by several important groups, including the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
