MAG’s Centennial Sculpture Park (CSP) Ribbon Cutting and Celebration Day are almost here! Join the Memorial Art Gallery on June 4 at 11 am for a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to officially open Phase II to the community at the corner of University Ave and Prince Street.
MAG’s Celebration Day will follow the Ribbon Cutting and includes lawn games from 12–4 pm (near the corner of Goodman & University); boxed lunches, snacks, and drinks for purchase from 12–4 pm; art projects with the Creative Workshop (under the tent) from 1–4 pm; performances from School of the Arts students at the Rashid Johnson Community Pavilion from 1–4 pm; NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) informational table from 1–4 pm; and Yoga Under the Rainbow with Olivia, a friend of NAMI at 3 pm.
The Ribbon Cutting and Celebration Day mark the completion of Phase II and the establishment of a $1.2M endowment that will provide care for the park in perpetuity. In November 2022, the Sands Family Supporting Foundation, Inc., Constellation Brands, and Abby and Doug Bennett announced a challenge to the community to support MAG's Centennial Sculpture Park. Once MAG secured $500,000 in gifts and pledges, the aforementioned donors would generously match the community's support with another $500,000. With this, the Rashid Johnson Community Pavilion was officially named. MAG supporters generously contributed to reach the challenge and exceed it by more than $280K, fully funding the Centennial Sculpture Park endowment.
Phase II of Centennial Sculpture Park includes seven major works by influential contemporary artists:
Rashid Johnson (American, born 1977)
Broken Pavilion, 2022–23
Pia Camil (Mexican, born 1980)
Lover's Rainbow, 2022
Sanford Biggers (American, born 1970)
Oracle, 2022
Jun Kaneko (American, born Japan, 1942)
Untitled, Dango, 2017
Nathan Mabry (American, born 1978)
Process Art (An Eye for An Eye), 2008
Deborah Butterfield (American, born 1949)
Untitled, 1996
Tony Cragg (English, born 1949)
Versus, 2013
MAG’s Centennial Sculpture Park is an artistic urban oasis for the city of Rochester that is always open and always free. In the spirit of inspiring fun, which is fundamental to MAG’s mission, these works of art are playful, flexible, smart, and provocative. Another equally important priority for the museum is to showcase important artists from underrepresented backgrounds with robust international reputations.
Phase II of Centennial Sculpture Park is made possible by lead gifts from the Estate of Elizabeth Plumb Miller, Nancy B. Miller, Sands Family Supporting Foundation, Inc., Sandra Hawks Lloyd and Justin Hawks Lloyd, Douglas S. and Abigail J. Bennett, Constellation Brands, Inc., Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, the Gallina Family, Gwen M. Greene in memory of John D. Greene, and Kathleen M. Landers and Peter J. Landers.
State support is provided by Empire State Development and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
See here for a complete list of sponsors.
About the Memorial Art Gallery
The Memorial Art Gallery showcases art from antiquity to the present day, including the outdoor public Centennial Sculpture Park. In addition to its permanent collection, MAG offers a year-round schedule of special exhibitions, lectures, concerts, tours, after-hours social events, and family activities.
Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm, and until 9 pm on Thursdays. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Admission: $20; senior citizens, $18; college students with ID and children 6–18, $9. Always free to members, University of Rochester faculty/staff, students, and children five and under. Half-price general admission Thursdays from 5–9 pm are made possible by Monroe County.
Discounted admission tickets are available when purchasing online. For more information, call 585.276.8900 or visit mag.rochester.edu.
Press contact: Melanie Fazio, Director of Marketing and Engagement: 585.276.8937 / mfazio@mag.rochester.edu
