Frommer's Review
The centerpiece of this charming museum is its elegant 1890s Georgian Revival mansion, the gallery's anchor since the Phillips opened in 1921, making it America's first museum of modern art. Founders Duncan and Marjorie Phillips, avid collectors and proselytizers of modernism, once lived here; now Impressionist, modernist, and American master gems from the 2,500-work permanent collection reside here. Intimate galleries retain homey features: leaded- and stained-glass windows, oak paneling, plush chairs and sofas, and individually designed fireplaces. A new wing completed in 2006 doubled the original space and now houses the main entrance, as well as galleries devoted to special exhibits; a cafe run by the clever On the Fly folks; a sculpture garden in the courtyard; and, most wonderfully, the Rothko Room, the small room devoted to four large, color-intense paintings by abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.
Best known for its Renoir masterpiece, Luncheon of the Boating Party, the Phillips boasts works by Daumier, Bonnard, Vuillard, van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso, Degas, Klee, and Matisse. Ingres, Delacroix, Manet, El Greco, Goya, Corot, Constable, Courbet, Giorgione, and Chardin are among the premodernists represented. American notables, besides Rothko, include Dove, Hopper, Marin, Eakins, Homer, Lawrence, and O'Keeffe. You'll enjoy viewing the collection for an hour or so.
A full schedule of events includes temporary shows with loans from other museums and private collections, gallery talks, and concerts in the ornate music room. Concerts take place October to May on Sunday at 4pm; arrive early. On Thursday, the museum stays open until 8:30pm for Phillips After Five, evenings of live jazz, a cash bar, modern art and gallery talks.
Note: You may tour the permanent collection for free on weekdays, though a donation is welcome. Weekends, when there is no special exhibit, admission is $10 per adult, $8 for seniors and students 18 and older. When the museum is staging a special exhibit, you pay the special-exhibit admission price, usually $12 per adult, $10 per student or senior, which covers entry to both the permanent and special collections. The Phillips almost always has a special exhibition on view. You may order tickets in advance at the Phillips, or through Ticketmaster, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at tel. 800/551-SEAT (7328).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
