Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Museum of Bad Art - Wikipedia does April 1st


Museum of Bad Art - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is a privately owned museum whose stated aim is 'to celebrate the labor of artists whose work would be displayed and appreciated in no other forum'.[1] It has two branches, one in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States, and the other in nearby Somerville. Its permanent collection includes 500 pieces of 'art too bad to be ignored', 25 to 35 of which are on public display at any one time.[2]

MOBA was founded in 1994, after antiques dealer Scott Wilson showed a painting he had recovered from the trash to some friends, who suggested starting a collection. Within a year, receptions held in Wilson's friends' home were so well-attended that the collection required its own viewing space. The museum moved to the basement of a theater in Dedham. Explaining the reasoning behind the museum's establishment, co-founder Jerry Reilly said in 1995: 'While every city in the world has at least one museum dedicated to the best of art, MOBA is the only museum dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the worst.'[3] To be included in MOBA's collection, works must be original and have serious intent, but they must also have significant flaws without being boring; curators are not interested in displaying art that is deliberately kitsch.


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