The Arts in Baltimore

Boston is a cultural cornucopia, with exhibits, theater, dance and music galore.

Art lovers can enjoy a variety of distinctive galleries. The Institute of Contemporary Art has introduced to Boston and the country some of the art legends of our time, from Pablo Picasso to Andy Warhol. The ICA is also constructing a new building at Fan Pier on the Boston Waterfront. Opening in 2006, the new ICA will be the first major cultural institution to be built in Boston in almost 100 years.

The Elizabeth Stewart Gardner Museum, one of the world's most beautiful galleries, features spectacular architecture, courtyard gardens, and works by old masters Titan, Matisse, Rembrandt and Raphael.

The Museum of Fine Arts, first opened in 1876, has outstanding collections of Impressionist, early American, and Asian and Egyptian art; while the vast collection at the Fogg Museum, located at Harvard University, illustrates the history of Western art from the Middle Ages through modern times.

The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists is a distinctive collection reflecting black history in the visual arts.

Boston is an active theater town with an array of theaters in continuous use. The historic Orpheum Theater carries shows from pop artists and contemporary playwrights. The Boston Center for the Arts' many troupes bring outstanding performances at budget prices. Broadway in Boston presents critically acclaimed Broadway musicals and plays ever year at the Colonial Theater, the Wilbur Theatre, the Charles Playhouse and the newly restored Opera House. The Wang Center for the Performing Arts is community theater at its best.

Outside the city in Brookline, The Coolidge Corner Theater is the only art-deco theater in the Boston area, featuring mainly independent films, short films and frequent midnight movies.

Dance enthusiasts will marvel at the Boston Ballet, performing everything from classics to modern works. Founded in 1963, it has been called one of the best ballet companies in America.

Boston is perhaps the most musical city in the country, home to the world-famous Boston Symphony Orchestra and the beloved musical icon, the Boston Pops. The Pops' Fourth of July concert on the Charles River Esplanade, begun in 1974 by late conductor Arthur Fiedler, is today a nationally treasured holiday tradition.

The FleetBoston Pavilion on Boston Harbor offers scintillating performances from pop, country, classical, jazz, and rhythm and blues artists, while in mid-summer, some of the biggest names in rock perform at the Harborlights Music Festival.