This was a small, but enjoyable and FREE museum on Brandeis's beautiful campus. It had three exhibits as of our visit on 1/26 - all three were surrealist and we got to see a Kahlo and a Magritte in addition to other wonderful works of art. They would liked you register before you go, but I didn't get the sense that we'd have been turned away if we hadn't. There is very limited parking near the Museum - we parked down by the admissions building and walked up. read more

Rose Art Museum - Front of museum - Art Museums Near Me - Waltham, Massachusetts

I didn't know about this museum until recently. So glad I found it. It's located at Brandies University in Waltham. There are places to park up close. The museum is free to enter. There are many different kinds of art here, like paintings, photographs, sculptures. It's very different and informative with information about the artists. What I enjoyed was a room decorated from the 1970s. A living room with the old fashioned couch, television, radio, record player. They had artwork from Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Mark Bradford, to name a few. There was so much artwork to see, focusing on American art,from the 1960s to 1970s. So much to see it can be overwhelming. I will have to go back. It's good that it is handicapped accessible with ramps and elevators. There are clean bathrooms. Highly recommend. read more

Established in 1961, the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University is a hidden gem housing one of the largest collections of modern and contemporary art in New England. It's a relatively intimate museum, with only 13,000 square feet of exhibition space in its three galleries, but the curators make good use of the space with a rotating selection of the 9,000 pieces in the permanent collection - including works by Matisse, de Kooning, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono, Gauguin, Picasso, and Warhol - as well as 9 to 12 temporary exhibitions a year - featuring groundbreaking pieces from emerging artists like Pakistani painter Salman Toor or less commonly-known pieces from more established artists like Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The Rose Art Museum also hosts programs that are open to the public including artist talks, performances, and discussions led by museum staff. My favorite part of the permanent collection at the Rose Art Museum is 'The Undisciplined Collector', an interactive re-creation of an early-1960s wood-paneled den installed by conceptual artist Mark Dion in 2015. It's intended to represent the mid-century modern era in which the museum was founded. The installation features retro-designed furniture (that you can sit on to enjoy the installation!) as well as authentic period artifacts including vintage record albums, magazines, and a cocktail bar. I haven't tried putting on a record or mixing a cocktail. PRO TIP: Admission to the museum and parking outside the main entrance is FREE but you should register for your visit on the museum website (https://slate.brandeis.edu/portal/rose_visitor_admission). read more

What a gem! Contemporary exhibits in a small but comfortable environment. Thank You Brandeis.

This museum is definitely worth the trip to Waltham and we really enjoyed the Frida Kahlo exhibit: POSE. It was different from the MFA exhibit in that it showcased really only originals of her very early work as well as the two paintings in progress when she died. The rest of the exhibit included photos of her by other artists, including her father, as well as some artifacts celebrating her work such as the Vogue article about her Paris exhibit, where she was depicted as Mrs. Rivera, "the wife of the Mexican painter". The Frida exhibit was definitely the most intriguing part of the museum but I also enjoyed a number of other works here by artists such as Kusama, Ellsworth Kelly and Sam Gilliam. The museum is free but with COVID, it's necessary to reserve tickets in advance. Easy, convenient and free parking right outside the entrance. Photos (without flash) are permitted. Staff at check in was friendly but I was mystified by the rather aggressive monitoring from the security guards. It started to kind of annoy me and interfere with my enjoyment of the art. I also didn't understand why it was unacceptable for me to wear my small day pack on my back but it was fine to keep it hanging off my shoulder? There is also absolutely no where to sit down and enjoy the art like there is at the MFA, RISD, tons of other museums. The only place to sit down is a small reception area at the entrance. We did see some people bringing portable chairs which apparently are okay. Overall, you can't beat the price and it's well worth the trip if you love modern art. Combine with a visit to Walden Pond for some extra culture! read more

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Small, but mighty museum that I loved visiting! I read about this place on Reddit as a hidden Greater Boston gem and ran to Waltham from Boston to check it out. Their 60th year anniversary exhibit is on and it's extremely extremely well curated - the theme and narration are moving and the artwork on display (Picasso, Warhol, Frida Kahlo, etc) is incredible. The museum is also beautifully designed, spacious, and very peaceful. They only allow 20 people in every hour - you'll need to book a reservation online (it's free!) before you go. read more

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A small group of us visited earlier today. After some research I thought - why haven't I been here! It's such a lovely museum for modern art! Sizewise I feel it's just enough for those who aren't able to spend hours combining through other museum's endless wings etc. The building's architecture is perfect for what it houses. Admission is free ... With the pandemic and it's variant masks/ facial coverings are mandatory. Also you must register online for a ticket and take a COVID assessment. When you do enter proof of vaccination (s) and an ID are also required. For me a small price to pay for a couple of hours of bliss. This is such a gem, depending on what exhibit I would definitely return. read more

Can't beat the price for visiting this interesting collection of very modern art. Yep, there was a Lichtenstein and a Warhol, but the rest are artists I am not yet familiar with. Some of the art is quite, uh, minimalistic. I'm not sure what to think of a lit fluorescent light bulb in a plastic bucket when the caption exclaims that it "[alludes] in particular to the dominance of male artists in this field." So there's that. At the moment, there is also on display "1724 Birth of the [see you next Tuesday]" and yes, the title is the actual word that would get my review removed from Yelp. "This edition groups together 1,724 English synonyms for female genitalia in the form of a glossary." Um. Okay. But hey, it's free and it is certainly interesting. When you enter Brandeis, turn left. read more

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Not sure what had happened to this place. Where did the permanent collection go? Where did all the gallery space go? There was nothing on display. Just some odd newspaper hanging from the ceiling to make a tunnel to nowhere. People were chanting in the gallery downstairs so we were not allowed to make noise. My shoes were too loud. Free admission and free parking. And it was still overpriced. read more

One of Boston's best-kept open secrets, along with the MIT Museum. Free admission, and a staff that genuinely is happy to see you and to discuss the artworks on view, if you are so inclined. Otherwise, the staff stay out of your way, and discreetly move aside if you want to take any photos. The Rose usually features temporary exhibitions and/or rotating selections from their permanent collection of works from the 1950s through today. Always check their website to see what is on view, when they are open, and any COVID-related restrictions. As of Summer 2021, a broad survey show exhibits art selected from the permanent collection, including works by Warhol, Kusama, Mendieta, Ono, Magritte, Marisol, Sherman, Oldenburg, deKooning, Stettheimer, Davis, Lichtenstein, Barney, Kandinsky, Wilson, and Louis. In addition, there is a small but noteworthy temporary show of Frida Kahlo, organized by the director of the museum, who clearly is an expert on her life and artworks. The show offers an overview of her life for novices, as well as unusual insights and glimpses, including rarely-seen works gleaned from private collections. Two of the last paintings done before her death are exhibited, as well as a photo of her largest artwork, now lost or destroyed. read more

Well worth the ride (we were visiting Boston). This is a jewel of a museum. We were drawn to the Kahlo exhibit but found the other artists equally intriguing. read more

I was forced to come here on two occasions for classes at Brandeis. I was glad each time. I'm open to modern art but sometimes, I just cringe. The Rose Art Museum seems to have captured modern art well, in a tasteful and comprehensive manner. They have many pieces from the 50's and the 60's. When I visited there was an exhibition by an artist using traditional Chinese styles of painting to display the tragedies the 3 Gorges Dam will bring upon completion. I also saw a compelling video of sketches done in the most creative way of continually sketching and erasing each frame about the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. They are continually rotating their exhibits which is refreshing for Brandeis students and faculty for whom admission is free. I definitely recommend popping into this tiny museum for a charismatic splash of contemporary modern art. read more

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Hans Hoffman collection is quite amazing. Within the time span of a few years you can see his experimentation with various styles -- some Kandinsky, Braque, Picasso, Pissaro influences. The permanent collection is also quite awesome. The Elvis video across 4 screens was fun. My favorite is the piece where the paint is cracking and the curtains are falling out. Reminded me and my friend of old ladies and reflections of life. I was really quite amazed at the breadth of the collection, especially for a gallery affiliated with a small college. Not quite Yale's gallery, but not far behind. A little bit of everything for everyone, from oldschool to newschool, modern, abstract, performance, and traditional 'art.' read more

I am not an art person. But I like art museums geared towards the general population. I can even say that I am emotionally moved by certain paintings regardless of who paints them. This art sucks. And there's not a lot of it, so it's a good thing since I only had to walk around the place for 15 minutes to see all the crappy art, but a bad thing since if they had more art, there would be a higher probability that they would have something I like. Go here if you like art called "Blue and White" where there are two blue half circles on a white background painted on canvas. Or if you like art created by a computer that involves plaster. Just plaster. Globbed at the bottom of a canvas. Go here if you have nothing better on a Saturday afternoon and end up on Brandies's campus with 15 minutes to burn and need to laugh at silly art that are probably worth thousands (or millions?!). Two stars because it's FREE. As it should be. P.S. One of the two rooms was closed off. I -may- give this place another go and update if it turns out they keep all their good stuff in that room for some reason. read more

Up until recently, The Rose was New England's best kept secret. Having hosted brilliant collaborative shows, featuring some of the biggest names and brightest up-and-comers, the museum was something students could feel proud about. However, unfortunately due to a massive change in administration, the playful zeal that once infused the gallery has dissipated. The departure of The Rose's curator has left this season's exhibitions boring and uninspired. Pretentious video art has been intermittently plaguing the Lee and Foster galleries, courtesy of the current director. It seems as if, for the time being, the powers that be have chosen to erm, focus their demographic. And boy, has it been focused. One can only hope (and with good reason) that a sophorific reign of pseudo-curatorial tyranny can only last for so long. So if you're on the Brandeis campus, there's no harm in peeking in. You'll find a beautiful space with oodles of potential begging to be rediscovered. read more

I may be a little biased, as a Brandeis alum, in favor of the Rose Art Museum. Still, it's regarded as one of the best modern art museums in New England even by non-Brandeisians, so you should probably check it out. The three small gallery spaces host a variety of rotating contemporary art exhibits, typically changing at least once a semester, so you can keep coming back. The Rose Art collection features thousands of pieces by both up-and-coming new artists and old famous dudes like Rembrandt and Andy Warhol. Of the exhibits we saw this weekend, one was a feature of works from the Rose collection designed by the museum curators, and another was part of the "Paper Trail" series, in which a modern artist designs an exhibit of both their own work and a selection of the Rose's collected works on paper. I can't say I was impressed by Margaret Evangeline's heel-marks on styrofoam, but she chose nice pieces from the archive. The best of the three, however, was Clare Rojas's "Hope Springs Eternal" installation. The upper floor of the museum has a grand mural of her work, and the lower floor of the gallery features many small paintings plus sculpture of... um... little penises peeing into the museum's fountain pool. Rojas has a lot of male nudes in her work, prompting the Rose to issue a little warning sign outside the museum about the nudity contained within the current exhibit. This is pretty lame when you realize that a comparable amount of female nudity probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows in the art world. I was thoroughly entertained by the whimisical nudes with their drooping genitals and bristling facial hair. This exhibit runs through April 1, 2007. If you're in Waltham and have a spare hour for art appreciation, definitely pay the Rose a visit. read more

Woohooo Rose Art! I definitely did not spend enough time here, and I'm pretty much sure I spent more time here than most people at the Deis. What a great spot with some great art. Also, little known secret: because they have so little room for their collection, if you want to see a specific painting or three, you can make an appointment and they'll pull them out for you to look at! How cool is that???? And of course the student rental bit, as Arnab pointed out...except I didn't live on campus much and couldn't take advantage! read more

Cool place to come on a rainy day or if you need to kill some time and feel like doing something artsy. I thought it was kinda small, but it was still really good. They had this cool 1960s room and then a cool dance exhibit the day I went. The admission is free, so that was another plus. I would come back. read more

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A nice, albeit small, modern art museum that is definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. The price is right and they rotate exhibits often enough to keep you coming back every so often. read more

Everything in the rotating exhibits at the Rose is of a high quality. The collection, which we don't get to see a whole lot of, contains some great 20th century American art. It's a very small, but pretty slick museum, and you can easily digest its contents in an hour or two. There's going to be a renovation and expansion soon. read more

I am so glad that I took the time to visit the Rose Art Museum. I wish that I could have spent more time. This museum is just a gem. Fantastic collection- the abstract expressionism (my personal favorite part of the collection) is just stunning. The photography and the contemproary works are also marvelous. There is just no adequate way to describe what a wonderful museum this is. The building is also beautiful, and they have done a thoughtful and sensitive job organizing and displaying the collection. I can't wait to go back with my family. read more

Haven't been to this museum since I was a child, but wow - things have changed since the remodel/re-opening a couple years ago! I'm very glad that much of the contemporary art that was going to be put up for sale stayed with the museum - there was quite a bit of nostalgia and thinking back to the original wonder & excitement I had when we visited as kids. read more

great, great! amazing collection! and yes, anyone may make an appointment if the contact the registrar read more

I tend to like museums even though I cannot spend hours on end in one, but "The Rose" has a special place in my heart because it is at Brandeis and I walked by it a handful of times everyday on my way to and from classes and other college endeavors. For one, it is one of the prettier buildings on campus, and they have some pretty cool exhibits every so often, and have an excellent collection of art, most of which is not on display because they don't have the space. That's why they have this AWESOME deal where students living on campus could "rent" a painting from the Rose for $10/academic year (i.e. fall through spring) for their rooms. Obviously not all their art was up for renting but a pretty good selection of it was. They also opened it up to social events involving alcohol and hors d'oeuvre which was always fun. Extra, extra points for the curator to lend us the main gallery at the Rose for the South Asian Students Association's cultural show (Mela) after-party when I was the president of the club, in 2004, and did it rock or what!!! If I ever get my arse back at Brandeis, I'll be sure to drop by... read more