Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

Munson
Munson Museum of Art
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is located in New York
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Location within New York
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is located in the United States
Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Location within the United States
Location310 Genesee St., Utica, New York
Coordinates43°5′49″N 75°14′29″W / 43.09694°N 75.24139°W / 43.09694; -75.24139
Arealess than one acre
Built1960
ArchitectPhilip Johnson
Architectural styleInternational-style
NRHP reference No.10000727[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 9, 2010

Munson (formally Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute) is a regional fine arts center founded in 1919 and located in Utica, New York. The institute has three program divisions: museum of art, performing arts and school of art.

Museum of art

The museum of art has a substantial permanent collection of internationally recognized works. They are exhibited in the Munson Museum of Art Building. It is an International-style building designed by architect Philip Johnson and completed in 1960. A model of the building was exhibited in the United States Pavilion at the Brussels' World's Fair of 1958. It is a 60,000 sqft[2] square and supported by eight external ferro-concrete piers, or two on each side. The exterior structural members are clad in bronze and "black" Canadian granite. The windowless cube is set above windowed office areas recessed in a dry moat, giving a "floating" effect. The interior features a two-story central courtyard, illuminated by a skylight, known as the Edward Wales Root Sculpture Court. It also holds an auditorium seating 271.[3] In 2023, as part of a rebranding effort facilitated by a Brooklyn-based design agency, the museum rebranded itself simply "Munson". The museum president stated that despite its familiarity, few people knew the entire 10-syllable name of the museum.[4] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.[1]

Next-door is a Victorian-era Italianate mansion called Fountain Elms, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.[5] It houses the Munson decorative arts collection. It is connected to the Museum of Art building by an education wing built in 1995.

Fountain Elms

The museum has an extensive collection of European and American art, with a permanent collection of over 25,000 works.[6] A highlight of the permanent collection is the first of the two original sets of Thomas Cole's famous series of paintings titled The Voyage of Life: The second set is at the National Gallery Washington, DC.

School of art

The art school was begun 1936, when The Arts Guild of New York City moved its school to a remodeled garage on the ground of the Institute and, under the name of the School of Related Arts and Sciences, began to offer courses in visual arts, the history and philosophy of art, and comparative symbolism.[7]

In 1999, Munson became a satellite campus of the Pratt Institute.[8] A program called Pratt at Munson-Williams-Proctor or PrattMWP allows students to study for two years in Utica, New York, called a "Foundations Program", before completing their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Pratt Institute's main campus in Brooklyn, New York.[9] PrattMWP is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, Middle States Association, and New York State Education Department.[10]

Pablo Picasso
Salvador Dalí
Andy Warhol
Rembrandt

Selected works in the museum collection by chronological order

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Listings" (PDF). Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 9/07/10 through 9/10/10. National Park Service. September 17, 2010. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  2. ↑ Syrkett, Asad (August 30, 2010). "A Golden Anniversary for a Philip Johnson Museum". Architectural Record. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ Rand Carter and Travis Bowman (December 2009). National Register of Historic Places Registration: New York SP Munson—Williams—Proctor Arts Institute. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved November 14, 2025. (Downloading may be slow.)
  4. ↑ Zigrino, Kali. "Utica arts institute changes name to 'Munson' as part of larger rebranding plan". WKTV NewsChannel2. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  5. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  6. ↑ https://www.cityofutica.com/visiting/attractions/munson-williams-proctor-arts-institute/index
  7. ↑ Writers' Program of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) in the State of New York (1940). "Utica". The WPA guide to New York : the Empire State. Federal Writers' Project. p. 539. ISBN 978-1-59534-230-0. OCLC 879611983. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  8. ↑ "History". www.mwpai.edu. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  9. ↑ "PrattMWP". www.mwpai.edu. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Accreditation and Rankings". www.mwpai.edu. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
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