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 is a cool place in Utica, New York, where you can explore art! It was started in 1919 and used to be called the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. This special center has three main parts: an art museum, a performing arts center, and a school where you can learn to make art.
Contents
The Art Museum: A Place to See Amazing Art
The Munson Museum of Art has a huge collection of art from all over the world. You can see these amazing artworks in the main museum building.
The Unique Museum Building
The museum building itself is a work of art! It was designed by a famous architect named Philip Johnson and finished in 1960. It's built in a style called "International-style," which means it has a very modern and clean look.
- The building is about 60,000 square feet.
- It looks like a big, windowless cube floating above the ground.
- It's supported by eight strong pillars on the outside, covered in shiny bronze and dark granite.
- The office areas are tucked away below, in a "dry moat," which makes the main building seem to float.
- Inside, there's a tall, open space called the Edward Wales Root Sculpture Court. It gets light from a skylight above.
- There's also an auditorium with 271 seats for events.
- This special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
Fountain Elms: A Historic Home
Right next to the modern museum is a beautiful old house called Fountain Elms. It's a Victorian-era mansion built in the Italianate style. This house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.
- Fountain Elms is where you can see the museum's collection of decorative arts. These are things like furniture, ceramics, and other beautiful objects.
- A special education wing, built in 1995, connects Fountain Elms to the main museum building.
Famous Paintings to Discover
The museum has a large collection of art from Europe and America. One of the most famous artworks you can see here is the first set of paintings from Thomas Cole's series called The Voyage of Life. It's a very well-known series of four paintings that tell a story. The second set of these paintings is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C..
Why the Name Changed
In 2023, the museum decided to make its name shorter and easier to remember. It used to have a long name, but now it's simply called "Munson." The museum's president said that many people knew the place but found the old, long name hard to remember.
The School of Art: Learn to Create
The art school at Munson is a great place for young artists to learn and grow. It started way back in 1936.
- At first, it was called the School of Related Arts and Sciences.
- It offered classes in visual arts, art history, and the ideas behind art.
PrattMWP: A Special College Program
Since 1999, Munson has had a special partnership with the Pratt Institute, a famous art college in New York City. This program is called Pratt at Munson-Williams-Proctor, or PrattMWP for short.
- Students can study for two years in Utica, New York, in what's called a "Foundations Program." This program teaches them the basic skills they need for art.
- After these two years, students can finish their college degree (a Bachelor of Fine Arts) at Pratt Institute's main campus in Brooklyn, New York.
- The PrattMWP program is officially recognized by several important groups, including the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
