Centennial Sculpture Park

Marking the museum’s 100th anniversary in 2013, the Centennial Sculpture Park transformed ten acres of the museum’s grounds into a public art space and urban oasis.

The park is home to twenty-five artworks by artists including Sanford Biggers, Pia Camil, Wendell Castle, Rashid Johnson, Nancy Jurs, Jun Kaneko, Albert Paley, and Beverly Pepper. Daily nighttime light projection from Jim Sanborn’s sculpture animates the museum’s façade.

The park’s walkways include a series of twelve geometric brick compositions by Jackie Ferrara as well as the Poets and Story Walks with interactive waypoints featuring poems by local and nationally renowned poets and stories connected to the history of Rochester.  

Bayer Landscape Architecture, PLLC, is responsible for the Centennial Sculpture Park master site planning and design.

The Memorial Art Gallery’s centennial year was presented by Lynne Lovejoy, with additional support from Robert L. and Mary L. Sproull, ESL Charitable Foundation and Nocon & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.

Phase I of the Sculpture Park was made possible through MAG’s Gateways to Art campaign in conjunction with the museum’s centennial, co-chaired by Charlotte Herrera and Andy Gallina.

Phase II of Centennial Sculpture Park was made possible by lead gifts from the Estate of Elizabeth Plumb Miller, Nancy B. Miller, Sands Family Supporting Foundation, Inc., Sandra Hawks Lloyd and Justin Hawks Lloyd, Douglas S. and Abigail J. Bennett, Constellation Brands, Inc., Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery, the Gallina Family, Gwen M. Greene in memory of John D. Greene, and Kathleen M. Landers and Peter J. Landers.

State support was provided by Empire State Development and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.