Bronx Museum of the Arts

12/21/2014

I am staying in the Bronx for one month while I discover the borough and other parts of New York City and during my visit today, I went to visit their main museum known as the Bronx Museum Of The Arts.

Their museum is dedicated to providing all visitors access to its' contemporary art collection and exhibitions.

Furthermore, all public areas of the Museum, including galleries and restrooms are wheelchair accessible and wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first- serve basis and are located in the lobby of the North Wing. Elevators also provide access to all floors and exhibits.

Their exhibits cover a wide range of topics from various artists of both local, domestic and international.

During your visit, you will even be able to see a few short films as well which are dedicated to their various artists currently on display.

If you are ever in the Bronx section of New York City, then please stop by to visit this museum

You will be glad that you did.

4/11/2014

Getting to the Bronx Museum of the Arts was a trek, but I was really excited to check this museum out.  This museum is known to have innovative contemporary art works and exhibitions and also offer education programs for cross-cultural dialogues.  I love how this museum is an advocate in making art accessible to the community.  My favorite pieces include Shimomura's 'Rape of Nanking,' Biggers' 'Afropick,' Taylor's 'Untitled,' Kwami's 'Lanier Place Goddess II,' and Osorio's 'The Scene of the Crime (Whose Crime?).'  Bright space with lots of natural light, I really enjoyed checking this museum out! :D

+having art accessible to the community :D

3/5/2014

I've lived in NYC for six years but I only made it to the Bronx Museum a couple weeks ago, and wow. What a great little museum! I feel guilty admitting this but I was not expecting to enjoy it so much. After visiting I really feel certain that the "neighborhood" museums (Studio Museum in Harlem, Queens Museum, and this one) are the best places to see art in New York--not as sterile or predictable as the famous ones in uptown and downtown Manhattan.

There were three exhibitions up when I visited. One was of a Brazilian artist, Paulo Bruscky, in two galleries. The first one featured works where the artist inserted himself in maps, urban space, and the postal system with his drawings, collages, and performances. I really liked one piece called "I'm Pickling Myself (1974) where he put a photo of himself in a pickle jar, as well as his experiments putting his head and body parts in a copy machine, a new office technology at the time. It all had a do-whatever, anything-goes spirit. The second gallery was more somber: about the artist's use of medical technologies to record his existence as a biological organism, shuffling through the qualities of life and archives. I liked the work in the first gallery better but the shift in tone was a smart way to highlight the range of the artist's work.

The big galleries had sculptures by Tony Fehrer, which were colorful, simple, ingenious, and delightful. He's the kind of artist who looks at the properties of ordinary things and finds beauty in them. The walls were almost bare, except for some small pieces of cardboard torn off boxes, and so viewers ended up navigating the space by encountering all sorts of assemblages on the floor or hanging from the ceiling, which animated the gallery. Tables of colored glass bottles, filled with various levels of liquid, doodads and washers arranged in a circle--there was a shamanistic aura around this dollar-store detritus. I noticed that several visitors seemed particularly enchanted by a collection of colored mop sticks laid out like a sunburst or a blooming flower.

The last gallery featured photographs taken at a beach in the Bronx. They were large-format, high-quality photojournalistic images. I personally preferred the other exhibits but this was a cool thing to have at a community museum and rounded out the experience with another kind of art-making. Everybody takes photos at the beach so in a way, like the Paulo Bruscky and Tony Fehrer, the photo exhibit is encouraging viewers to find (and make) art in everyday life and that's great.

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  Tony Fehrer's ring of mop stick

  Tony Fehrer's ring of mop stick
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  Paulo Bruscky, "I'm Pickling Myself"

  Paulo Bruscky, "I'm Pickling Myself"

7/13/2014

The Bronx Museum of the Arts focuses on contemporary and 20th century works created by American artists. Its permanent collection consisting of some 800 objects d$
The museum also hosts some art and design exhibits from abroad.

There are also film music and art performances every first Friday of the month which is pretty convenient since Friday  offers free admission as well.

1/18/2015

If you're in the area, then definitely a cool spot to check out. The staff was incredibly friendly, the museum is spacious and clean, and the artwork was intellectual. Probably not an institution I would go out of my way to head towards again but I would recommend it if you're in the Yankee Stadium area. Definitely a great institution, and a friendly place, to support.

7/26/2014

Decided to actually bite the bullet and visit this museum  this past Friday.  It was ok.  Not many exhibits.  I was expecting art  contributions from other nationalities other than Latino.  There is a large amount of Italian and Jewish communities (people) in the Bronx.  Hopefully there will be a rotation of art  that reflects other nationalities that represent the Bronx.   There is a  small  gift shop.  Although the museum is free, paid $17.00 to park in garage across the street.  I guess I was expecting parking to be cheaper.

9/21/2014

Great museum .. just stay away from the woman at the front desk. Her inability to communicate effectively is exacerbated by her rudeness and by her laughing moronically at you as you try to understand what she's talking about.

From another Yelper: "My only gripe is with the lady at the reception desk."

Otherwise the museum is worth the trip. Beautiful building, interesting exhibits, nice size galleries.

1/31/2014

Went there to see the clear plastic bottles semi-filled with blue liquid hanging on a rope.  But was impressed with the 350 coke bottle delivery crates stacked to form a red cube with the logos erased.

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  Clear plastic bottles semi-filled with blue liquid hanging on a rope

  Clear plastic bottles semi-filled with blue liquid hanging on a rope
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  Red Cube of 350 Coke crates

  Red Cube of 350 Coke crates

2/2/2014

Few exhibits there, but in turn it created an intimate setting to observe the select pieces. Not too crowded, easy to navigate.

11/10/2013

This place is fantastic. First of all it's free. Second of all it has a good/interesting collection of artwork. It's only one level but there is quite a bit to see and some pieces really drew me in. If you are ever headed to a Yankees Game, stop by for 30 minutes or so.

8/6/2012

This is a great space to visit if you've never been...or if you have, you should go back!  The exhibits chance periodically, so you should check out their website for new exhibits!  Also, they have First Fridays and can feature live music, and other performances!!

There is a current showing of graffiti as art...and there are some gorgeous pieces.  Check it out...you won't be sorry!!

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  ABC site visit!!!

  ABC site visit!!!

10/16/2012

Bronx Museum is all about access to Art and Culture, so the museum is free/donation-based. They have events throughout the month to engage the community. Most of the exhibits have are more contemporary and urban. They also have live music at some events.

8/20/2011

On my last trip to New York I wanted to go to some of the smaller museums and sites I didn't get to see on my first trip several years ago. I took the subway up to the Bronx to go to Wave Hill, but decided to go to the BMA instead. I'd heard a lot of good things about the BMA

I went in and loved loved it. This was one of my favourite attractions that I went to. The exhibits were interesting, the museum was a good size, not too big and not to small. The admission is by donation, but you should put in the $5 they suggest because its well worth it.

7/29/2013

It's pretty small compared to a few of its Manhattan contemporaries but this place packs a lot of punch. It wasn't crowded like so many museums which was great because I felt I could linger as long as I wanted to and not feel shoved out by a crowd. The fences exhibit was provocative and the film student in me loved another that took scenes from Alphaville and compared it to the shut-off suburban Brazilian lifestyle of the upperclass. There was also an impressive baseball exhibit that's a must-see for sports fans. As a member I was invited to the opening of Juan Downey's Invisible Architech and I'm also looking forward to checking out the rest of their public programs as they've got a beautiful meeting space. Glad I found this gem.

10/8/2012

This is a somewhat small museum apparently oriented to contemporary art , just one floor of exhibits, but I found this to be one of the most interesting museums I have been to of any sort.  Every artwork or short film I saw there I found to be an intellectually rewarding experience that raised questions and  many challenged some of my conceptions about things . Often when I go to museums I start to get sleepy after awhile, not the case here everything was fascinating. Apparently they change exhibits pretty often. The Cuban "Revolution Not Televised" exhibit is great, don't miss the short films, although if you don't speak Spanish you will miss out on a lot in those; and I loved the graffiti exhibit and the Rituals of Chaos photography.  They frequently have special events with live music or other stuff going on, I went to their 40th anniversary party in Oct 2012 and it was awesome, a very wide variety of entertainment..  Eager to check out some of their other special events.  I really   love this place.

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• See all photos from Mark N. for Bronx Museum of the Arts

6/23/2013

Lovely space. Great art and spoken word events all free. Go visit!

2/19/2013

I live like a block away from the bronx museum and I walk in as much as I can.  The people that run the museum are great and the art work is better than most that I see in manhattan and brooklyn.  Its a shame that more people don't visit because of the sigma attached to the bronx.  Its a must see museum for any true new yorker.

6/25/2009

I've always meant to come here, but didn't get the chance until recently. It's a surprisingly large space, as most museums I've been to in the Bronx have been tiny closets of curios on display. This is a large, well-lit space with an interesting variety of things to see. The historical collection balances well with the contemporary art, allowing both your modern and past minds to blend.

My only gripe is the lady at the reception desk--she wasn't into it. Just...wasn't into it.

6/29/2009

The exhibits often have local relevance-- but for the best experience go for one of their events. The film festivals and dance workshops are amazing! The Museum is pretty big and worth the trip. Plan for at least two hours to see everything. They have a lot of video art and a lot of work that captures the gritty NYC spirit. It's modern art, but not in the pretentious blank canvass sense... this is modern urban art and ANYONE can "get it" and enjoy it. It's fun, silly, angry and poetic.

I was very impressed with the artists they selected and moved by a few of the pieces. I like the artists they have here better than what you find at MoMA (mostly) it's just more New York and more relevant  --and all Bronx.

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  From a recent exhibit.

  From a recent exhibit.
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  This is their new building.

  This is their new building.

11/18/2012

The museum has great spaces for events like wedding receptions and other parties.  We were very pleased with our experience hosting an event there.  It was affordable, especially when you compare it to other venues in NYC.  They have different spaces to accommodate different numbers of people.  The museum staff coordinating rentals for such events are very helpful, as were the security and maintenance staff.  Our event went out without a hitch (at least that we knew of!).  The museum let us bring alcohol and decorations ahead of time to be stored there.

If you are using this space, know that it is really just the space and things like tables and chairs.  Everything else you must rent or provide yourself (e.g., linens, dishes, catering company, etc.).  Also, the museum does not permit any open flame (so no sternos) and if you are considering having an event there, be sure that there are not other events on the day of or day before/after that may cause issues with your event space and other logistics.

12/25/2010

I am so impressed by the BMA. I came here on Christmas Eve with my friend, because they are free (!) on Fridays. So I willingly trekked all the way from killer Queens to the boogie down just to see the museum. That's dedication.

The BMA was a quick walk from the 167 Street subway stop on the 4 (the closer one being 167 Street on the B/D line), and I was struck by the glass facade, and how, despite its very modern design, seemed to blend in with the neighborhood just fine. When I entered, it was free, so my friend and I were free to roam about. The security guy/receptionist advised us not to go upstairs, so we only got to see the first floor. I'm not sure if they were changing exhibits, or if they're undergoing renovations, but just from the one floor I got to see, the BMA knows how to work their space.

Between exploring Asian American identity in "Urban Archives: Happy Together," the side-by-side presentations of Tracey Moffatt's colorful "Montages" and Bosco Sodi's gritty red "Pangaea," and Paul Strand's exemplary "Mexican Portfolio," modern art is what they know best, and play best. I can only imagine how the BMA is when they show itself in its full glory with their festivals and workshops. Solid place that deserves more street cred.

8/6/2011

Small compared to the very large museums in Manhattan, but still a decent amount of work. Everything is on the main floor. Upstairs is just tables and chairs for events, and I was surprised they didn't use the space to display more work. They had a lot of local artists and new art that was different, modern, and good. I went on a Friday night which was free, which I would definitely recommend. The gift shop is small and has a lot of materials related to the current works on display. The work was so new it almost felt like a gallery.

6/22/2012

It's the Museum for our borough so you have to get behind it.  While I appreciate that they support local artists, sometime the work they show is a little mediocre.  They did a huge renovation/addition that doesn't jive well with the original building.  The circulation is very convoluted.  I would like to see an outdoor sculpture garden area and cafe added.   The only major downfall is the staff is pretty rude at the end of the day when they try to kick everyone out well before the posted closing time.

1/25/2009

Great exhibits from local artists.  They used to have after school art & poetry workshops for kids about 15 years ago, I'm not sure if they still do this, but it was great.  There is a small gift shop with some more cool artsy things to purchase.  Easily accessible from bus and train, and right on the concourse.

9/14/2008

Cool space.  Went on a free admission weekend to check it out.  The current exhibits on street art was intriguing.  I really enjoyed seeing  all the live installations people have done historically on the streets of urban cities.

8/13/2007

This place is a gem. They have a fantastic space, very easily navigated. (No issues with flow like MOMA.) They're committed to art made by people who are good, not famous. And the gallery attendants are easily the best around. They invite you to interact with work, are happy to turn up the volume on audio and video pieces, and are seemingly glad to be helpful. AT A MUSEUM. Crazy.

7/13/2007

This is a cool museum tucked beside the Grand Concourse up in the Bronx. It's a mini trek for those who are based downtown or in BK, but it makes for a nice day trip. Unlike a lot of popular museums, which seems to be very crowded on the weekends, this place is relatively less so. The staff is friendly and laid back, and security doesn't hawk you like a lot of other places.

1/2/2006

$5 admission fee.  $3 with studen i.d. I think.  

A few years ago, I was here for the Hip Hop and Contemporary Art exhibit and it was well worth the low admissions fee I paid.  They consistently have interesting new exhibits and film screenings.  While the museum itself is relatively new (started in the seventies), it is really growing in membership; you should totally stop by if you have time.  This musem is way overlooked.

10/8/2008

Very cool space. One of my favorite aspects about this museum is a lot of their exhibits are interactive, which is fantastic for both kids and adults alike. One of their best exhibits every year is Artists in the Marketplace, which feature young and upcoming artists in The Bronx. It is rather on the small side if you are used to the major museums in the city, but it is still very interesting and worth the visit.

10/5/2005

Who says there's nothing good in the bronx. Cool art exibitions, friendly and laid back staff. They have fun workshops for classes and summer camps, if you visit NYC, dont forget about the Bronx.