The Museum Of Bad Art Reaches out to Natick Audience

Permanent acting interim executive director, Louise Reilly Sacco, of The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) made a presentation to a group of 50 at the Morse Institute Library in Natick in the afternoon on Wednesday April 6. The museum prides itself in being “the world's only museum dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition and celebration of bad art in all its forms.”

Founded in 1993, the museum’s first exhibit took place in early 1994, in the West Roxbury basement of the Sacco’s brother. Fifteen people were invited to attend an art “party” for an exhibit of bad art. Much to their surprise, 200 people came. One of the paintings on exhibit was the first in their collection, "Lucy in the Field with Flowers," oil on canvas by unknown, which was acquired from someone’s trash in Boston. The purpose of the show was to share it with the public, just as galleries and museums do.

The second art party was hung outside of the house due to space limitations. At this exhibit, one of the paintings, "Eileen," was stolen, and a $6.50 reward was offered for its return. The Boston Art Squad investigating the theft drew a parallel to the Gardener Museum’s 1990 theft, of which there was no comparison. Ten years later, Eileen was found, but that is not the case for Gardener Museum’s art.

As a rule, the Museum Of Bad Art shows art that is sincere and original. They do not show art painted on velvet, painted by numbers, children’s or student art, and nor do they show art from the "Starving Artists" sales as seen in TV commercials.

MOBA has 600 pieces in its collection but due to space issues, can only display 90 to 110 at their three galleries, which are located in Somerville, Dedham and Brookline.

At each exhibit, there is a statement about each work of art, similar to those seen in art museums and galleries worldwide. MOBA never says anything bad about the art, but they do make fun of art speak and art writers.

One wonders if the Museum Of Bad Art hurting artists? Sacco said “Artists want an audience, and this Museum gives everyone and audience.” The artists can say they have a piece in a Museum, and if MOBA turns the artist’s donation down, they have something they can feel proud about too.

When asking who can say what is good or bad art, Sacco said that “Curators at Museums make decisions about what art they want to show. There is a difference between pretty and ugly art, and good and bad art. Everyone has an opinion about what art is good and what is not.”

People often ask if they can buy the art on exhibit at the Museum, but Sacco said “we don’t sell the art, just like the Museum of Fine Arts doesn’t sell what they have on exhibit.”

The price of each piece of art purchased for the Museum is capped at $20, and art is also acquired through donations. Only 10 percent of the work offered as donations is accepted. Work not accepted for their collection is sold at auction, which helps pay for their expenses.

Sacco said that an article about the Museum that was on the front page of the Wall Street Journal a number of years ago “was invaluable for making ourselves known.” Since then they have been in Rolling Stone, Wired magazine, USA Today, the New Yorker, the Christian Science Monitor, many airline magazines, and announced proudly that they have even made it into the National Enquirer.

The museum’s three locations are in the basement of the Dedham Community Theater, the Somerville Theater, and also in the lobby of Brookline Access Television.

They pay no rent, there are no salaries, and there is no admission fee. A lot of volunteers help hang the shows, and an ad agency in Philadelphia created their logo for free. None of the “staff” has an art background. They write humorous art statements, and they have a lot of respect for their artists. Sacco said that what they are doing “is a lot more meaningful than we expected.”

She continued by saying, “the art world has a big audience, and so are the number of people who would never set foot in an art museum.”

Students who visit the Museum Of Bad Art like to visit the Museum of Fine Arts too, for two different perspectives.

For those unable to visit the Museum, a lot of the collection is on their website. They have a mailing list of 16,000 people from all over the world, and they also have almost 8,000 people on their facebook page.