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October 2024 by Dongwook Lee
The Addison Gallery of American Art is located in Andover, Massachusetts, serves as an educational resource for Phillips Academy, and is an important cultural destination for the local community and visitors.
Just being able to see Winslow Homer's great paintings was satisfying enough.
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April 2024 by Dustin Hecker
We saw the "Robert Frank and Todd Webb: Across America, 1955" and "A Long Arc, Photography and the American South since 1845" exhibits. The latter was the better of the two. It is organized historically, so you see a very interesting chronological retrospective on the complicated and not necessarily pretty history of the South. The photographs are almost universally spectacular. Spoiler alert, the exhibit emphasizes the negative, of which of course there is a lot. It would have been nice to see more emphasis on the majority of the lives of ordinary people in the South; i.e., when they were not oppressing or being oppressed.... But, all in all, well worth the time. The Frank and Webb exhibit is a lot more frustrating. First, while the photographs are very interesting (you certainly have seen quite a few Frank's, a couple of examples below), a number of them did not seem to have been digitized and printed in a particularly professional manner. More frustratingly, the commentary is resolutely, gratuitously, and in many cases condescendingly focused through the prism of today's identitarian sensibilities on everything that supposedly is awful about America. I suppose that is what one must expect these days from curators at museums that want to be taken seriously by their similarly minded peers. But it gets really tedious, and in many cases is neither justified by the picture nor, it appears, whatever it is Frank or Webb said was going on when they took the pictures. Instead, it reflects what the curators think should be said today about the picture. As only one example, I have attached one picture and its commentary.
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March 2024 by Eduardo Fernandez
Unforgettable exhibition
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December 2023 by Craig Radhuber
Thoughtfully curated, fascinating collection well worth the visit.
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November 2023 by Abelino Chicas
Amazing
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November 2023 by Sherman Hanke
A wonderful, eclectic collection
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November 2023 by Kath Bowers
What a wonderful resource! An exquisite building teaming with outstanding and thought provoking works of art
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June 2023 by Julie Wolf
I love this gallery. It is both spacious enough, as well as intimate in showcasing new exhibitions. I also love to see works from the permanent collection . I learn something new each visit. The gallery staff are very welcoming, and they also explain about the current exhibitions. Thank you for all of the benches and chairs. I'm disabled, and it's very helpful.
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June 2023 by Alice Wahl
The museum is an absolute gem! The building, exhibition galleries, the collection, and the current exhibition featuring works by Allison Elizabeth Taylor, all exceptional! I've lived in this area for many years and can't believe I've never been here before. Most definitely worth visiting, and it's free. Yes, that's right, all this wonderfulness is free!
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February 2023 by Karen 2.
this museum is super cool to checkout and it's also free ! the collection is not very large and was lacking a bit of variety overall. some really cool pieces tho! also the tiny library part was interesting to see.
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December 2022 by Judith Zorzy
I had visited theAddison Gallery one time before my recent visit.It is a wonderful small Museum on a beautiful campus.A friend and I were at the Museum to see the current exhibit of Rosamond Purcell.It's an amazing exhibit.I would watch the video before viewing the exhibit to really get a sense of Rosamond's work and career.I personally found it difficult to enjoy my time there due to the acoustics in the museum.It is like a echo chamber.Along with visitors talking very loudly there was a group of young children having a class.The children themselves were just being children but the three adults with them were making no effort to modulate their voices and were practically shouting at them.I mentioned this to the rather unfriendly young woman at the entrance desk.Her colleague in the gift shop across the way heard me and came out to speak with me.She suggested as there is an issue with the acoustics and it is a teaching Museum I call ahead to see if there were going to be any groups visiting.I would suggest doing so if you want to really engage with all of the wonderful art at the Museum.If you would like to have a wonderful meal there's a great Thai restaurant in Andover.Gati Thai Bistro,at 12 Post Office Ave.A small street in downtown Andover.We had not checked the hours.We arrived as the lunch hour was almost finishing at 3:00.They were about to close but they let us in.It's a small intimate space with a lovely atmosphere andvery gracious owners.The food was delicious.It was a great way to end the afternoon.
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December 2022 by Vincent L.
This is a surprisingly high-quality museum given that it's under the purview of a prep school - Phillips Academy Andover - and not say, a university. Admission is free, with the two floors featuring rotating exhibitions. A particularly compelling current exhibition is of Scottish photojournalist Harry Benson, who chronicled pivotal events of the 1960s, whether the arrival of the Beatles in America, the James Meredith march during the civil rights movement, the building of the Berlin Wall, or the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. The images seem vivid and even provocative given that you're viewing them from within one of America's most prominent bastions of elitism, but at least the kids here are learning about real history instead of having it being censored for them like in Florida public schools. The collection consists of more than 25,000 American works from the 18th century onwards and is not only a fantastic resource for students but also the general public.
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October 2022 by Kai L.
Located on the Phillips Academy campus, this is definitely a hidden gem. The art collection is sufficient with the first floor housing the typical American/European art. The second floor hosts the special exhibitions. It is not too large and is a lovely way to spend the afternoon. Street parking is available along with a nearby lot for museum parking. The bathrooms are located in the basement.
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August 2022 by Bob Spillman
The Addison Gallery is a very pleasant and thoughtful collection of art exhibits. Many are rotating, so there is often something new in this small, but packed, museum. Admission is free, but I always make a contribution to the box near the entrance. Most exhibits are North American in focus, with many well-known artists.. A recent exhibit was a very powerful analysis of race in the US. Poignant and reflective, it draws the viewer into an uncomfortable world of hate. Art's mission is to create an environment that promotes reflection and introspection. This certainly meets that goal. Creative and thoughful. Thanks, Addison,
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June 2022 by Vittorio Bucchieri
Beautiful exhibits.
