Danforth Museum leaves the past behind; Exhibits newfound vigor

Across the border: Events from surrounding communities

It’s been a long and winding road for the small staff of the 50-year-old Danforth Art Museum in Framingham, most recently weathering a decade filled with eviction, new ownership, relocation and uncertain funding.

But they’ve pulled it together and come out stronger, according to museum Director and Curator Jessica Roscio.

In her 2024 annual report to the Danforth community, Roscio cited “a welcome sense of consistency,” brought about through acquisition of the museum by Framingham State University, among other pluses.

The focus for the permanent collection is 19th, 20th and 21st century American artists, primarily from New England.

The nonprofit Danforth Art Museum began in 1975, located in a former school building owned by the then-town of Framingham.

But Roscio said years of deferred maintenance, a broken boiler, asbestos in the walls and a poorly carpeted floor among other building deficiencies led to an eviction notice from the premises in 2016.

“Everyone had to leave,” said Roscio. The museum closed for three years, followed by the pandemic that kept the doors shut for a few more.

Framingham State University stepped in to buy the Danforth’s current building on the city’s central common, forming a partnership between the city and the museum. The school’s art department is on the first floor, the museum occupies the second floor and its art school is on the top floor of the brick building in the city’s main square.

Roscio said the museum acquires about 100 pieces each year to add to its 4,000 works of art.

Currently there is an exhibit of “staff picks” from the permanent collection, which will be up until September 2026. Assistant Director and Collection Manager Rachel Passannante said the exhibits change annually.

It includes works in mixed media, including acrylic painting, photography and sculpture, chosen by staff members with an explanation of why it is their favorite.

In smaller galleries, exhibits change several times a year. One “immersive installation” is by artist B. Lynch, who hung figurines in various settings evoking “a classic story of have and have-nots” using paper, wire and paint. According to a description of Lynch’s eye-popping exhibit, it is “a commentary on a New Gilded Age, an increasingly timely reference as it parallels with the Gilded Age of the late 19th Century.”

Another gallery is dedicated to sculpture artist Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. It includes about 400 pieces of her work, many of which are loaned out to major museums around the country.

“It’s one thing that gets the Danforth beyond New England,” said Roscio.

Roscio said she is “very confident” about the future as a partner with the university in a dedicated museum space.

She said plans are underway to extend the patio in the back of the building as an event space. She plans to hire more staff as she builds out the collection.

“We see the Danforth as a place for arts and culture in Metrowest,” said Roscio. “It seems weird to be confident in this climate, but we’ve weathered a lot and we have a good team for the next 50 years.”