Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Collection and conservation - distinguished among other great museums for preserving the curatorial vision of its founder, the Gardner Museum is a work of art in totality. It encompasses a collection of approximately 20,000 objects, including archival items and works of art spanning 30 centuries. Isabella Stewart Gardner bequeathed this remarkable collection and historic building as a resource "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever." On continual display, the ongoing conservation of the collection employs cutting edge scientific methods and new practices to preserve, protect, and safeguard these works for posterity. Special exhibitions, publications, and public programs feature new research on the Museum's permanent collection and catalyze dialogues that address questions of contemporary cultural relevance.

Music - a vital part of Isabella Stewart Gardner's vision, music continues to be central to the Gardner Museum's interdisciplinary mission. Isabella's Museum opened in 1903 with a concert by the boston symphony orchestra, and her dynamic musical legacy continues today with the country's oldest museum-based concert series. The Museum's sunday concert series presents outstanding established and emerging musicians in the Museum's intimate concert space, calderwood hall. The performers, composers, and repertoire featured in the Museum's musical programming reflect a commitment to diversity and creativity, while the commissioning of new works celebrates the innovative perspectives of contemporary artists. In partnership with the Museum's visiting curators of performing arts, the music department presents multidisciplinary performances that respond to the Museum's collection and exhibitions through dance, music, spoken word, and theater.

Education and public programs - the Gardner's education and public programs create welcoming, inclusive, and enjoyable learning experiences. Known for a commitment to excellence in teaching as well as collaborating with local artists and communities, the Gardner offers a rich variety of programs and resources for children and adults that spark in-depth experiences with works of art and present opportunities to engage with some of today's most creative individuals. In addition to high-quality professional development for teachers and docents, the Museum conducts thoughtful research that brings new knowledge to the Museum education field. The thinking through art k-12 program, known for its emphases on close looking and group meaning making, has produced research on how in-depth experiences with art discussion helped boston students develop significantly more critical thinking skills than students in control schools without the program. Working with local artists, performers, cultural leaders and social justice organizations, the Museum works to build mutually beneficial relationships with our community and partners. Third thursdays,a successful evening program for young adults, has become a model for museums around the country in engaging young, local audiences. Neighborhood salon luminaries and studio artists programs build community with local artists and creatives, connecting them with the Museum, the staff, collection, and resources, informing future program co-creation and artistic responses to the Gardner. Exhibition interpretation and programming feature a variety of perspectives, creating multiple entry points for visitors. The Gardner ambassadors paid internship provides practical, compensated job pathways for local community college students, emphasizing both personal career development as well as grounding their learning in the visitor experience.

Landscape & horticulture - in building fenway court as among the first public institutions on the newly constructed back bay fens, Isabella Stewart Gardner contributed to a conception of the city as shaped by landscape architecture. The Museum remains committed to be a preeminent cultural venue for landscape and its role in the contemporary city. The landscape department curates exhibitions and convenes public programs on topics of societal, environmental, and cultural significance for contemporary boston. These programs present our audiences with the most pressing challenges of the day, as well as the role of design and planning in addressing those challenges. The Museum maintains a diverse living plant collection, with an emphasis on orchids and ferns. Additionally, the horticulture department propagates thousands of plants each year for seasonal displays in its iconic courtyard. The monk's garden, horticulture workshops, and other programming further bring the art of horticulture to life as part of the Museum experience.

Contemporary art - the artist-in-residence program is one of the oldest in the country, arguably beginning in the early days of the Museum when Gardner's friend john singer sargent stayed in an apartment on the ground floor. Since 1992 the Museum has invited artists from all creative disciplines and backgrounds to once again stay on the premises to research, work and respond to the collection, offering fresh perspectives on Gardner's creation. These artists often return multiple times to find inspiration, to enjoy the gift of time and to stay connected to the Museum in meaningful ways. Thanks to the new strategic plan the contemporary department has continued to forge dynamic new connections between Museum audiences, living artists and the collection, while expanding the focus on specific thematic exhibition projects and commissions, which connect Gardner's total work of art to relevant issues of contemporary culture.