The Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute in Utica changed its name to Munson in 2023.
The fine arts center is dedicated to serving diverse audiences by advancing the appreciation, understanding, and enjoyment of the arts.
Founded in 1919, the building was constructed in a Victorian style and serves as a place of education and world-renowned artwork.
The institute is named after three different generations of the Munson family, prolific art collectors in the late 19th and early 20th century. The museum formally opened in 1936 in the family’s home.
The School of Art opened in 1941. In 2000 the Pratt College of Art and Design had its first class attend through a partnership with the Munson Williams Proctor Institute. Students who attend the program can study either the museum itself or performing arts.
Featured artwork at the Institute includes the work of Georgia O’Keefe, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali and Jackson Pollock. Their work is scattered among the eighteen collections that can be found in the museum.
The Institute offers workshops to the community.
There is no entry fee to get into Munson, but there are some things inside that guests might have to pay for such as performing arts season events. Memberships are also available, starting at $25. The Institute is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Mondays.
2023 Performing Arts Season
10,000 Maniacs
Saturday, March 11, 7:30 pm
The earthy and soulful rock of 10,000 Maniacs has been a cornerstone of the alternative music scene for more than 40 years. The group’s live shows feature four of the six original members.
$45 Members; $50 General Public; $20 Students
Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel–Mozart and Friends Haydn and Beethoven
Saturday, May 13, 2023, 7:30 pm
Haydn’s humorous “Gypsy Rondo” and deeply affecting “F Minor Variations,” Beethoven’s stormy “F Minor Sonata,” and Mozart’s final sonata, the ebullient and virtuoso “The Trumpeter” are featured.
$33 Members; $38 General Public; $15 Students
The Munson Arts Festival:
Sunday, July 23-Saturday, July 29, 2023
The area’s longest-running summertime celebration of arts and community; it includes the Munson Car Show, Sidewalk Art Show, Steamrollin’ Prints, outdoor concerts by local and regional musicians every evening, and the special summer exhibition at the Museum of Art.
The Sidewalk Art Show is a juried week-long outdoor art exhibition that is a hallmark of the Arts Festival. Artworks are displayed outside the Museum of Art and voted on by a jury as well as the public in five categories: watercolor; works on paper; photography; sculpture; and oil, acrylic, and mixed media. Artworks are for sale throughout the Arts Festival.
The Munson Car Show is one of the most popular car shows in Central New York. Collectors can register to show their cars during the first day of the Arts Festival and have the option for their vehicles to be judged in different class categories. Attendees can also see cars of collectors who have been specially invited to exhibit outside of Fountain Elms.
Steamrollin’ Prints is an all-day print-making extravaganza featuring 25 artists who make large relief prints under the drum of a nine-ton construction roller from Oneida County Department of Public Works. Munson partners with a different area art gallery each year to display prints after the Arts Festival. Steamrollin’ Prints is usually the Thursday of Arts Festival week, but is subject to change.
“Here is another special Utica place! You would not think that the Mohawk valley as such a prestigious art museum, but here it is.”
—William JM, Trip Advisor
Take Amtrak to the Munson Williams Proctor Institute
Experience this unforgettable attraction via Amtrak to Utica Union Station in Central New York—Don’t forget to use the See New York & Save 15% discount!
