Visiting the Ogunquit Museum of American Art

It’s tempting to list a visit to the Ogunquit Museum of American Art as a great rainy day activity. Doing so, however, would be a real disservice because one of the museum’s finest attractions is its grounds. Overlooking a majestic rocky cove and speckled with sculpture, a walk around the modest mid-century building is as enjoyable as a stroll inside.

We recently visited on a rainy day, to see the now-closed Art in Bloom exhibit. This temporary exhibit has a floral designer using flowers and other natural elements to mimic or complement paintings in the museum’s permanent collection. Visitors like us could then vote on which one we liked the best. Our favorite, shown below, came in second.

However, we spent a good hour admiring the rest of the art at the museum, plus the sculpture garden outdoors. When the museum installs the next exhibit, we’ll definitely head back.

Small Yet Impressive Museum

The museum’s handful of galleries are roughly split between its permanent collection and its current show. When we visited, the show featured the work of Anthony Cudahy, a celebrated Brooklyn-based artist.

His exhibit is dominated by large scale figurative paintings. The mood of the work was often brooding, which juxtaposed well with the vibrant colors the artist employs. It was an impressive collection of works for a painter who was born in the late 1980s.

This special show was in the main museum gallery, which you enter when you enter the museum. It’s also the space where the museum holds yoga classes when the weather doesn’t permit class to be outside.

Ogunquit Museum of Art Permanent Collection

The permanent collection is primarily a walk through the history of American modernism. It ranged from more classic feeling landscapes to a bold blue Rockwell Kent Alaskan mountain scape — my personal favorite — to more modernist portraits. I’m a sucker for the bold colors of WPA-era work (1930s and 40s) and was happy to see paintings like the wrestling scene by Gus Mager on display. There was a modern work by Justin Liam O’Brien, called La Bocca Lupo, that felt reminiscent of WPA murals as well.

My only complaint about the museum is that it is seasonal and typically only runs two shows per summer. Similarly only a fraction of the permanent collection is on display and that doesn’t rotate very often. I live within an easy drive of the museum and would like to visit the lovely setting often and would prefer an opportunity to experience more of the collection.

Admission

The museum is $15 for adults; $13 for seniors, students and veterans; it is free for children under 12 and to active military and their families. The museum also offers reduced $3 for SNAP EBT cardholders. Plus, it’s a Blue Star museum, which means free or reduced admission for military families. Finally, the Ogunquit Museum of Art particpates in First Friday events. That means admission is free on the first Friday of every month.

If you live locally and are visiting with two other adults, it makes sense to consider an individual membership for $55. The membership comes with two one-time guest passes. So, for just $10 more than the total cost of three adult admissions, you would get a variety of perks including unlimited visits, invitations to museum events and a discount at the museum shop.

Special events

From time to time, the museum holds special events for museum members and members of the public alike. The Art in Bloom contest is one of them. It culminated with a floral design demo and dinner (paid) on the museum grounds.

Also, you can take classes through the museum. Recently, we did a three-hour, learn to paint class with gallery owner Todd Bonita. We’d been to his Portsmouth gallery on a First Friday last month so we were excited to learn with him. The first half of the class was him teaching us about composition and light, while we watched him paint.

The second half of the class we attempted to take what we learned and paint on our own. We set up our easels around the grounds but most people stuck to the grassy area overlooking Perkins Cove. And it was a beautiful evening to be painting en plein air.