The College of Liberal Arts at UMass Boston partnered with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to serve CLA students with numerous opportunities and benefits. Under this program, all CLA students get one free ticket per visit, which they can access through the advising office for the College of Liberal Arts or through the Art & Art History Department Office.
This partnership is one of many that UMass Boston offers to students, allowing them to visit and make the most of Boston’s world-class museums. The offered partnerships act as a link between the student body and Boston’s culture and history. In addition, it introduces students to the city’s landmarks and notable figures throughout history.
In addition to free admission to the museum, students also have access to the galleries and shows that are offered at the museum. The community engagement at the Gardner Museum works with local artists, performers, community leaders and social justice organizations to facilitate several projects, as well as engage in meaningful conversations with the community members.
The UMass Boston Museum Partnerships Committee was designed to broker these partnerships and was formulated to increase student engagement with museums and places of historical significance. Additionally, it provides students and faculty with the opportunity to feel ownership of some major cultural institutions in the greater Boston area, like the Museum of Fine Arts. These goals serve to combat the sense of exclusivity associated with museums. The Gardner Museum partnership will augment UMass Boston’s participation and student visibility at various events at the museums.
The MPC’s achievements include increased student awareness around free access to the Museum of Fine Arts, to the Isabella Stewart Gardner for CLA students, and to the Institute of Contemporary Art for the students enrolled in Art courses in the academic year 2022-23. Several welcome nights and bonding events were organized at these museums before the pandemic. In addition, special student tours and access to exhibitions served students an extraordinary chance to experience the intersection of modern and traditional art.
Lorenzo Buonanno, one of the MPC chairs and assistant professor of Art History, shared some of the latest information about the partnership. He said that after discussing some definitive plans, the membership was brokered by the MPC chairs, Shannon McHugh, John Tyson and Buonanno himself, along with the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Tyson King-Meadows.
One of the notable advantages of this partnership is the internship program for CLA students. The new membership came with UMass Boston-exclusive internship positions at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for summer 2023. According to the information provided by Buonanno, the internship details will be available to CLA students in spring 2023.
On Nov. 11, a welcome night event was organized at the museum, bringing CLA students and faculty together to celebrate and learn more about the newest partnership. Appetizers and drinks were served at the event. Dean King-Meadows gave introductory remarks, followed by brief comments presented by one of the representatives from the museum. The event was a grand success, nearly double the anticipated number of students and faculty attending.
CLA Dean’s office envisions this partnership will provide CLA students with incredible opportunities at some of the finest treasures Boston has to offer. College of Liberal Arts students should be on the lookout for internship opportunities for summer 2023 at the museum. Students should also be sure to grab a CLA ISGM sticker from CLA Advising or Art & Art History Department to get free admission to the Gardner Museum.