A cherished cultural destination is returning to the City of Framingham.

During the weekend of April 13-14, the community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Danforth Museum at Framingham State University in the historic Jonathan Maynard Building on the Centre Common.

“The grand opening of the Danforth Museum at Framingham State University is the culmination of three years of work to preserve and enhance this beloved local cultural institution,” says Framingham State President F. Javier Cevallos. “We expect it to be a valuable resource for our students and faculty, as well as the community at large.”  

The Danforth, an independent museum and studio art school founded in 1975, has been closed since September 2016, when it was evicted from its former location due to the building’s broken boiler. In 2018, following over a year of negotiations and planning, the Danforth merged with Framingham State University, which launched plans to reopen the museum and school in a renovated space in the Jonathan Maynard Building at 14 Vernon Street.

The museum is located on the second floor of the Maynard Building and features six exhibition spaces, including one devoted to the Danforth’s exceptional Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller collection. The museum will continue to feature changing exhibitions from its Permanent Collection and other historic and contemporary art works, with a special emphasis on regional artists. 

The third floor of the building is the new home for Danforth’s community art classes, while the first floor serves as a space for some of Framingham State University’s art courses.

A special evening event for longtime members and donors to the Danforth will be held on Saturday, April 13^th. The following day, a free open house for all members of the community will be held from noon to 4 p.m.  

“We are thrilled to reopen the Danforth on the beautiful Centre Common and to be part of the University,” says Executive Director Debra Petke. “Our new space was renovated to meet the specific needs of exhibiting and storing artworks and we have a wonderful schedule of exhibitions set for the next few years. We look forward to welcoming back the community.”

To learn more, visit https://danforth.framingham.edu/.