Looking for a New England event venue that provides a truly inspirational setting without the need for further embellishment? The region’s stellar array of art museums, among the richest and most varied assortment to be found anywhere, provide endless possibilities, whether it’s a gala reception in a stunning waterfront atrium or an intimate gathering in a sculpture garden.
This is a particularly exciting time for the New England art scene, with many of the leading museums investing heavily in new spaces to showcase their collections and enhance the visitor experience. Here are some great museum venues to consider.
Connecticut Wadsworth Atheneum
Set to unveil the results of a five-year renovation this month, Hartford’s Wadsworth Atheneum of Art will be resplendent with new galleries for its collection of European art as well as a transformed Great Hall in the historic Morgan Memorial Building. The nation’s oldest art museum, which offers an eclectic mix of architecture and function spaces, offers event settings ranging from classical to contemporary, says Nick Mandella, development events coordinator.
“The Morgan Great Hall, which has 50-foot ceilings and will be hung with 140 European masterworks, will be a stunning space for private dinners and cocktail receptions for up to 200 people,” he says. “We often will combine an event with a docent-led tour, and with the reopening there will be much more to see.”
The museum’s largest space, which holds up to 350 for a reception, is Avery Court, which features a spectacular skylight, a fountain sculpture from 15th century Florence and access to the museum’s Modern art galleries. For groups of 50 or less, the Hartford Courant Room is a dedicated meeting space with a Calder sculpture just outside the window.
Florence Griswold Museum
In the early 20th century, Old Lyme was a noted colony for American Impressionist artists. Today the Florence Griswold Museum celebrates the era with exhibitions of their works and offers event space set in the bucolic landscape that inspired them.
Large parties can be accommodated under a tent in a garden terrace overlooking the Lieutenant River. The museum also offers a converted 19th century barn with a wraparound porch and spaces for exhibitions, meetings and workshops.
“Not only can you have a dinner or reception there, but the group can go outside with canvasses and do some painting of their own as a teambuilding activity,” says Scott Phelps, president of the Connecticut Convention and Sports Bureau.
Maine Portland Museum of Art
The rugged of beauty of Maine has long been a magnet for artists, a fact that is celebrated at the Portland Museum of Art. Located in downtown Portland, the museum’s State of Maine collection offers works by such artists as Homer, Wyeth and Nevelson. European art is another focus, including works by Picasso, Degas and Monet.
The museum also includes two significant historic homes, including the Winslow Homer Studio, which was restored and opened for tours in 2012. The McClellan House, a three-story mansion built in 1801, offers several elegant spaces for receptions.
Massachusetts Institute of Contemporary Art
Part of Boston’s new Innovation District, the redeveloped neighborhood that also includes the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, the Institute of Contemporary Art is a glass-walled, cantilevered building that is as dramatic and imposing as the art collection inside. Its spacious waterfront plaza and sweeping harbor views make it ideal for creative events that take full advantage of its spectacular setting, says Lindsay Goneau, director of operations for AlliedPRA New England, a DMC.
“We’ve done New England clambakes there and Taste of Boston events with mini lobster rolls,” she says. “We’ve tugged a barge out into the harbor and done fireworks shows.”
Event spaces include a 2,500-square-foot plaza that can be combined with the Water Cafe by Wolfgang Puck for up to 400.
Harvard Art Museums
Reopened in November after a six-year renovation and expansion by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the Fogg Museum is now the centerpiece of the new Harvard Art Museums, a three-museum complex on the Harvard campus in Cambridge. The redesign puts the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger and Arthur M. Sackler museums and their collections under one roof for the first time.
The museum complex offers expanded areas for events, including the restored Calderwood Courtyard, 300-seat and 100-seat lecture halls and seminar rooms.
Peabody Essex Museum
With an architectural collection of historic buildings, including an 18th-century Chinese merchant’s house, and galleries devoted to American, Asian, African, Oceanic, Native American and maritime art, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem has a global focus. The museum plans to break ground on a $650 million expansion next year that will provide additional space for its massive collection of artistic and historic objects.
Receptions can be held in the East India Marine Hall, which was built in 1825 and features arched floor-to-ceiling windows, or the Atrium, with its three-story glass ceiling.
“You can have an intimate event in our Bartlett or Copeland galleries of Chinese export art or rent the entire museum for up to 500 people,” says Natalia Laskaris, manager of private functions and rentals.”
New Hampshire Currier Museum of Art
The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester is an acclaimed regional museum that focuses on New Hampshire artists but also has a collection that includes works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O’Keefe and Wyeth. The museum also features the Zimmerman House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in New England open to the public, which contains the modern art collection belonging to the former owners.
In 2008, the museum unveiled a major expansion that added several spaces for events, including the Winter Garden Room, the museum’s atrium cafe that accommodates up to 195 people for evening events; an 180-seat auditorium and two meeting rooms designed for seminars and training sessions.
The museum encourages planners to tie in their events with special exhibitions, says Lisa Pavlopolous, manager of special events and catering.
“It really puts a creative spin on things and builds excitement if you incorporate the exhibition theme into the decor and invitations,” she says.
Rhode Island RISD Museum
Part of the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, the RISD Museum houses a vast collection of art, drawn from ancient cultures as well as from contemporary artists and designers. Its versatile event areas include the Grand Gallery, a soaring space that can host receptions for up to 250 and which features midnight-blue walls hung with 17th and 18th century European paintings.
“RISD’s Grand Gallery is a spectacular setting for events—you can do a seated dinner there where everyone is surrounded by great art,” says Goneau of AlliedPRA. “The museum is a great option for groups meeting in Providence.”
Smaller groups can gather in the Porcelain Gallery, displaying ceramics figurines. There is also a 200-seat auditorium and a 40-seat lecture hall opening onto a garden.
Vermont Shelburne Museum
Spread on 45 acres outside of Burlington, the Shelburne Museum displays an amazing collection of Americana, including folk art, vintage hatboxes, circus posters, antique toys, carriages and quilts. It also includes a fine collection of Impressionist paintings.
The Shelburne’s eclectic mix of historic structures available for events includes the steamboat Ticonderoga and the Round Barn. Its main event space is the new Pizzagalli Center for Art and Education, which includes art galleries of changing exhibitions, an auditorium and a lobby.
MARIA LENHART is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus.
