Malcolm Rogers (curator)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Rogers CBE
(born 1948) is a British
-born art curator who has served as the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
since 1994. In this role he has brought both extensive popularity and controversy to the museum.
Rogers was educated at Oakham School
, Magdalen College
and Christ Church
, Oxford
, earning a B.A.
with first class honors and a D.Phil. in English. Prior to his position at the MFA, Boston, he worked his way up from librarian to Deputy Director at the National Portrait Gallery in London
. An expert on portraiture, he has published extensively on the subject.
He has also sought to significantly expand the museum's collections by hiring key curators to drive the acquisition and donation of art process; the MFA's purchase of a piece by Degas is the most expensive undertaken by the museum. Acquisitions of English silver have made the MFA, Boston the most significant holder of such artifacts in the Americas. Under Rogers's guidance, the MFA has also made significant acquisitions of contemporary pieces by Joseph Beuys
, Bridget Riley
, Robert Mangold
and Jim Dine
.
In 1999, Rogers helped launch the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts
in Nagoya, Japan
, in order to "internationalize" the museum's brand. Under Rogers' tenure, the museum's Building the New MFA campaign, which was conceived of primarily to showcase the MFA's extraordinary collection of American Art, raised $504 million by its completion in September 2008. In all, the MFA received more than 25,000 contributions for the campaign, including 6,700 from first-time donors, indicating the degree to which Rogers' leadership has generated widely-based support for the MFA.
The campaign supported a transformational building expansion and renovation, designed by architects Foster + Partners (London). The expansion features a new wing for the Art of the Americas collections and, adjacent to it, a glass-enclosed courtyard, which
opened in November 2010.
Rogers was appointed a CBE
by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts in Britain and the USA in 2004, and appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
by the French Government in 2007. In 2009, he received the award of Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Commander of the Order to the Merit of the Italian Republic), one of the highest honors presented by the President of the Italian Republic.
his first museum show, and that to lend 21http://www.bgfa.biz/exhibitions-monet.html Monet
paintings to the Bellagio
hotel/casino complex in Las Vegas
. Other exhibitions have proven equally controversial, including one showcasing the guitars of various rock stars and another concerned with the luxury car collection of Ralph Lauren
. Many of these shows, nonetheless, have been popular with the public.http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2004/09/12/malcolm_x/
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(born 1948) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born art curator who has served as the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
since 1994. In this role he has brought both extensive popularity and controversy to the museum.
Rogers was educated at Oakham School
Oakham School
Oakham School is a British co-educational independent school in the historic market town of Oakham in Rutland, accepting around 1,000 pupils, aged from 10 to 18, both male and female, as boarders and day pupils . The Good Schools Guide called the school "a privileged but unpretentious and...
, Magdalen College
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
and Christ Church
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, earning a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
with first class honors and a D.Phil. in English. Prior to his position at the MFA, Boston, he worked his way up from librarian to Deputy Director at the National Portrait Gallery in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. An expert on portraiture, he has published extensively on the subject.
Achievements
Rogers' decision to open the museum for longer hours and express friendliness toward the surrounding community have gained him acclaim. Rogers’ initiatives have reflected his philosophy of “opening doors.” This has included renovating and reopening both of the Museum’s historic entrances—-Huntington Avenue on the Avenue of the Arts and the MFA’s State Street Corporation Fenway Entrance overlooking the Back Bay Fens. In addition, Rogers eliminated admission fees for children 17 and younger and instituted a series of free community days. Under his tenure, museum attendance has risen from record low to record high numbers, now around 1 million a year, and the museum's previously shaky finances have been stabilized to a considerable degree.He has also sought to significantly expand the museum's collections by hiring key curators to drive the acquisition and donation of art process; the MFA's purchase of a piece by Degas is the most expensive undertaken by the museum. Acquisitions of English silver have made the MFA, Boston the most significant holder of such artifacts in the Americas. Under Rogers's guidance, the MFA has also made significant acquisitions of contemporary pieces by Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys
Joseph Beuys was a German performance artist, sculptor, installation artist, graphic artist, art theorist and pedagogue of art.His extensive work is grounded in concepts of humanism, social philosophy and anthroposophy; it culminates in his "extended definition of art" and the idea of social...
, Bridget Riley
Bridget Riley
Bridget Louise Riley CH CBE is an English painter who is one of the foremost proponents of Op art.-Early life:...
, Robert Mangold
Robert Mangold
Robert Mangold is an American minimalist artist.- Works :“Robert Mangold’s paintings,” wrote Michael Kimmelman in the New York Times in 1997, “are more complicated to describe than they seem, which is partly what’s good about them: the way they invite intense scrutiny, which, in the nature of good...
and Jim Dine
Jim Dine
Jim Dine is an American pop artist. He is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Walnut Hills High School, the University of Cincinnati, and received a BFA from Ohio University in 1957. He first earned respect in the art world with...
.
In 1999, Rogers helped launch the Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Nagoya/Boston Museum of Fine Arts
The is an art museum located in Nagoya, Japan.- History :It is the sister museum of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and was established in partnership with the Foundation for the Arts, Nagoya partly to help bring the treasures of the MFA's collection, particularly those of types rarely exhibited...
in Nagoya, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, in order to "internationalize" the museum's brand. Under Rogers' tenure, the museum's Building the New MFA campaign, which was conceived of primarily to showcase the MFA's extraordinary collection of American Art, raised $504 million by its completion in September 2008. In all, the MFA received more than 25,000 contributions for the campaign, including 6,700 from first-time donors, indicating the degree to which Rogers' leadership has generated widely-based support for the MFA.
The campaign supported a transformational building expansion and renovation, designed by architects Foster + Partners (London). The expansion features a new wing for the Art of the Americas collections and, adjacent to it, a glass-enclosed courtyard, which
opened in November 2010.
Rogers was appointed a CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the arts in Britain and the USA in 2004, and appointed Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
by the French Government in 2007. In 2009, he received the award of Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (Commander of the Order to the Merit of the Italian Republic), one of the highest honors presented by the President of the Italian Republic.
Controversies
Rogers has been occasionally lambasted for the museum's exhibition regimen, especially his decision to grant the "lowbrow" photographer Herb RittsHerb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture.-Early life and career:...
his first museum show, and that to lend 21http://www.bgfa.biz/exhibitions-monet.html Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
paintings to the Bellagio
Bellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
hotel/casino complex in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. Other exhibitions have proven equally controversial, including one showcasing the guitars of various rock stars and another concerned with the luxury car collection of Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
. Many of these shows, nonetheless, have been popular with the public.http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2004/09/12/malcolm_x/