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Art Lover's Walking Tour Of Boston

Boston is regularly named one of the country's best walking cities. Tons of attractions are close enough to each other that using transportation would be pointless for many. That is especially true of the art in and around the art district. With only a few miles of walking, visitors can view multiple museums, galleries and works of art scattered throughout the city. Start from either the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum or the ICA to make the most of this tour.
Institute Of Contemporary Art
(Photo Credit: Institute of Contemporary Art)

Institute Of Contemporary Art
100 Northern Ave.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 478-3100
www.icaboston.orgThe Institute of Contemporary Art is one of the top places to visit in Boston to see a variety of art. Offering everything from author talks to comedy nights among the typical backdrop of physical artworks, the ICA really puts forth an effort to please everyone. One of the museum's highlights is the Sandra and Gerald Fineberg Art Wall, which is an ever-changing installation that periodically features new artists and works. Always be sure to check the events listing before visiting to make the most of the time spent there.

Boston Sculptors Gallery
(Photo Credit: Boston Sculptors Gallery)

Boston Sculptors Gallery
486 Harrison Ave.
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 482-7781
www.bostonsculptors.comBoston Sculptors Gallery features the work of local sculptors. Exhibitions are free and open to the public, but they are, of course, shown with brief breaks between. Therefore, it is important to make sure there is a showing happening before walking the nearly two miles from the ICA to the Boston Sculptors Gallery. Every exhibition typically features the work of two artists. They show for around one month, but sometimes as few as nine days. If a coveted artist is showing, make haste or miss out.

Related: Boston's Best Art Walks

Copley Society Of Art
(Photo Credit: Copley Society of Art)

Copley Society Of Art
158 Newbury St.
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 536-5049
www.copleysociety.orgLike SoWa, the Newbury Street area is home to many art galleries. Among them is the Copley Society of Art, roughly one mile from the Boston Sculptors Gallery. What is special about this place is that it is more than just a gallery. Copley Society of Art also offers classes, lectures, demonstrations and even gallery rentals. Between 15 and 20 exhibitions find their way there annually, so there is always something to see. Sculptors, portrait artists and more are all part of the more than 400 artists represented by the society.

Museum Of Fine Arts
(Photo Credit: Museum of Fine Arts)

Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston
465 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 267-9300
www.mfa.orgJust over a mile away from the Copley Society of Art is Boston's Mecca for art fans, the MFA. Boston's Museum of Fine Arts is home to a multitude of classic, contemporary and ancient artists. Visitors will see everything from Revolutionary War era portraits by John Singleton Copley to a giant baby's head. Groups and individuals could fill at least one day walking around this museum, but there are plenty of highlights for a quick walkthrough for those trying to make it to more city sights.

Related: Boston Area's Best Art Walks

Gardner Museum
"Teens Behind The Scenes" at the Gardner Museum. (WBZ-TV)

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 566-1401
www.gardnermuseum.orgA small fraction of a mile from the Museum of Fine Arts is another stunning museum known as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. A gift to the city from the eponymous donor, the ISG houses amazing pieces that she collected throughout her life, some of which depict her. However, here, some of the most interesting sites have nothing to do with what is there, but what is missing. The ISG was home to a massive art heist and the museum has kept the spaces of every piece stolen as it was that night, waiting for them to be returned.

Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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