DeTOUR℠ tickets include museum admission.
Read more about our tour guide Jessica Gasbarre #JessicaGasbarre
Under MAGsocial, we are conducting a monthly DeTOUR℠ on the third Thursday of each month. DeTOURs℠ are an exclusive themed tour that is both engaging and entertaining. These tours focus on some of the amazing personal lives of artists, the inspiration and method to their creativity, and lesser-known facts about some of the works in our collection. Each tour includes activities, personal connections, and mind-blowing facts! And, upping our MAG DeTOUR℠ game, we are now including some Rochester Rockstar guest Tour Guides.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission
It’s International Education Week and we are teaming up with our friends from the University of Rochester to journey through MAG’s collection of world art. We’ll talk about the Erie canal, goddesses in India, tigers from China, mummies from Egypt, and more.
shown: Inner Coffin of Pa-debehu-Aset, Ptolemaic Period (332 -30 BCE), 332 BCE-30 BCE
photo: J. Adam Fenster
Thursday, December 19, 2019
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission
On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠ we are combining the wonders of the Wizarding World with the MAGic of our museum. We will take you on a journey of our secret passageways, unveil the mysteries behind our tapestry, highlight portraits that we’re pretty certain move from time to time, and unveil our very own ghost in the Egyptian wing of our collection. We will travel across time, journeying through our collection to introduce you to some creative witches, art wizards, and terrifying trolls.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission
Get ready to meet marble hunks, oil-painted Adonises, and other MAG men and women who make you wish you were born four centuries ago. On this DeTOUR℠, we’ll expose you to some of the art world’s best bachelors, spinsters, and finest eye candy, pictured above. We’ll also give you the scoop on romantic quarrels that kept hearts apart and plunge deep into the secret stories of star-crossed lovers from antiquity to modernity.
shown: Self-Portrait as a Young Man, (detail) by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini and Maxfield Parrish, 1905 (detail) by Kenyon Cox.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission
What happens to things when they die? How do we prevent decay? How do people make great discoveries? On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming back up with our friend, Alex the Archaeologist from the Archaeological Institute of America’s Rochester Society, to dig up the answers to these questions and more. Alex will take us back in time to see how the dead have been preserved, how to differentiate between decayed piece of garbage vs. invaluable ancient artifact, and all the crazy/cool/gross things he’s discovered in the field!
Thursday, October 17, 2019
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission | PURCHASE TICKETS
Sometimes life gets a little spooky, and for some of us, spooky is a way of life. Autumn marks the thinning of The Veil Between the Worlds (or the spookiest time of the year!), and what better way to celebrate than to explore the MAG with someone who revels in all things spooky. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will be joined by Erich S. Lehman, Curator, Creator, Collector, and local ghost whisperer as we delve into our more sinister works of art and share spooky stories from our collection and real life.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
6-7 pm | $12 includes museum admission | PURCHASE TICKETS
“When in doubt, go to the library.” On this day our favorite heroine, Hermione Jean Granger, turns the big 4-0 and we’re celebrating her birthday in a magical way – by talking about books in our collection and the women who read them. Since the early 14th century, works of art have been depicting women who read and on September 19th, we will talk about why this is, the many joys of reading, and everything Hermione taught us from her many trips to the library. Come and dress up like your favorite witch and join our art-history book club.
shown (left): Thomas W. Dewing, Portrait in a Brown Dress, ca. 1908. Currently on view.
Thursday, August 15, 2019 | 6-7- pm | $12 includes museum admission
They say to never talk about politics or religion, but this a DeTOUR℠ so, naturally, we’re breaking all the rules. On Thursday, August 15th we will be reflecting on the past and the artwork that inspired and was inspired by social justice. We will be looking at art as a tool for action, education, and change, and we will be sharing wild facts about pieces in our collection. Get ready to march* through MAG! *peacefully.
![Dare to be FUN [in a museum]](https://mag.rochester.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Dare-to-be-fun2.png)
Thursday, July 25, 2019 6-7 pm | $12 ticket includes museum admission
On this MAGsocial DeTOUR, we will be journeying through the 5,000 years of our collection to tell you some sordid stories from history, ancient funerary rituals and the sacred objects used to help bury the dead, mayhem emanating from mythology, and some of the finest facts from our museum. Join us with science instructor, author, museum guru, and dinosaur whisperer, Dustin Growick.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
6-7 pm | $12 ticket includes museum admission
On this colorful MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will uncover the secret lives and lovers of LGBTQ+ artists in our collection. We will explore sexual identity and the human desire to belong, along with Europe’s part in Queer Culture (QC). QC was widely accepted in ancient Rome and then banned in Nazi Germany. We’ll uncover which artist belonged to a clandestine gay bohemian circle, who can rock a bomb pair of heels, and what’s up with horses in queer representation. We will be joined by our fab friend and LGBTQ+ advocate, Bella Clemente.
Thursday, June 20, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 ticket includes museum admission
“Get your towels ready, it’s about to go down!” On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will be celebrating summer, sunshine, and sailing across the seven seas as we talk about marine life, boats, pirates, and Poseidon. We’ll have our swim trunks, flippie floppies, and nautical themed pashmina afghans with us as we look at maritime themes in our collection. Forget land. We’re on a boat.
*This is in reference to The Lonely Island’s hit song, “I’m On A Boat”
(C) 2009 Universal Republic Records
Thursday, May 16, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 ticket includes museum admission
On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠ we are traveling back in time with our friend, Alex the Archaeologist from the Archaeological Institute of America’s Rochester Society, to dig up the secret histories of the past. We’ll decode curses from Ancient Egypt, interpret art from the beginning of time, and we’ll share fun facts about sand, dirt, and dust and their role in preservation. You’ll also get to ask Alex all your burning archaeological questions along the way as we journey from civilization to society.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 ticket includes museum admission
In a world where there are “no mistakes, just happy accidents” we are celebrating Earth Day by looking at all the “happy little trees” in our collection with our friend and Bob Ross impersonator, John Magnus Champlin. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will talk about the joy of painting, the role of landscape art, and the happiness that comes from nature.
shown: Magnus as Ross and Genesee Oaks, (detail), 1860 by Asher Brown Durand
Thursday, March 21, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission | SOLD OUT
We don’t need Queen Bey to tell us what we already know: women are awesome. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will celebrate the women in MAG’s collection who made MAGnificent muses, painted perfect portraits, and who altered our perceptions of feminism, the art world, and who gave women the rights of agency. We will reveal the secret lives of females from our past, share fun facts about present-day artists, and celebrate all the wonders women have provided the art world and beyond. We hope you’ll leave feeling proud, inspired, and also unashamed of your unshaven legs (that’s the best part about winter #amirite)!
Ansel Adam’s iconic photo (detail) of Georgia O’Keeffe and Orville Cox; Alison Saar, Swing Low, 2007; Mickalene Thomas, Portrait of Qusuquzah #6 (detail), 2015.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission | SOLD OUT
Art and music have always gone hand-in-hand and on this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, you will get to experience the two simultaneously. The modern chamber music quintet fivebyfive with special guest Ben Proctor on banjo will take part in an immersive arts experience as we couple fine arts with the majesty of music, enjoying performances in our Museum space, learning together, laughing, exploring, and more.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission (with a private meet-and-greet with some of Lollypop’s animals afterward)
Throughout the ages, it’s been said that dogs are man’s best friend and research has found that people with pets live longer. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming up with our friends at Lollypop Farm to tell you all about the purrfect pets we have in our collection and their real-life counterparts. Find out what Batman the goat eats for breakfast, how many whiskers the average cat has, which dog can bark the loudest and other fun facts about animals and art. Join us following the DeTOUR℠ for a special ‘pet therapy’ session with some furry friends from Lollypop.
Thursday, December 13, 2018 *SPECIAL OFFERING*
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission | SOLD OUT
Written by Bathilda Bagshot in 1947, A History of Magic covers the history of the wizarding world up to the end of the 19th century. On this enchanting MAGsocial DeTOUR, we are combining the wonders of the Wizarding World with the MAGic of our museum. We will travel across time, journeying through our collection to introduce you to some creative witches, art wizards, and terrifying trolls.
Thursday, December 20
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission | SOLD OUT
Thursday, November 15
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission
Whether you come to MAG all the time, haven’t been here since that one elementary school field trip, or have never been, this is the DeTOUR℠ for you. We’ll tell you all the hot goss about the art in our collection – which artists married a prostitute, who married for money, who killed a guy, and so on. We’ll talk about different art styles, techniques, and trends through the ages, and we’ll tell you the juicy story of how our Museum came to be.
shown above, left to right: Eastman’s Italian Baroque Organ | John Koch, Interlude, 1963 | Thomas Ridgeway Gould, The West Wind, 1876 | #JessicaGasbarre with Helen Frankenthaler, Seer, 1980 | Sam Gilliam | George Innes, Early Moonrise in Florida, ca. 1892-1893 | William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Young Priestess, 1902
SPECIAL OFFER – Friday, November 9, 2018
6 – 7:30 pm | $15 includes DeTOUR℠, museum admission, and beard grooming class
Beards can be seen as masculine, intimidating, sexy, and fun. Since 2013, beard popularity has been on the rise in America with new and different trends for every season. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming up with our good friend, Jes Sutton, from Barbetorium to take a look at the beards in MAG’s collection and the handsome men they belong to. After the DeTOUR℠, Jes will show us some easy stylings to tame back bristles and get your beard even, shiny, and soft!
shown (details): Portrait of a man, Jan van Ravenstyn, 1570-1657 (detail), Jes Sutton, from Barbetorium, Saint Peter, Master of the Tiffen Alterpiece or workshop, ca.1500-1510 (detail)
Thursday, October 18, 2018 | SOLD OUT!
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission
Museums can be spooky places with shifting eyes glaring at you from all directions, curious sounds, and unexplainable happenings being a regular occurrence. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will uncover our more sinister works of art, share spooky stories from our collection, talk about Monet’s ghost, reveal the ancient art of Egyptian mummification, the curse of King Tut’s tomb, and views of the afterlife throughout time and culture.
Thursday, September 20, 2018
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission
Art and cinema go hand-in-hand, as every movie has costumes, set design, hair, and make-up artfully applied to enhance the film. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are again teaming up with our animated friend, Scott Pukos, from The Little Theatre to frame the role that art plays in movies and to examine which movies have inspired art. We will share fun facts from all your favorite films, actors who are also artists and art collectors, and we will highlight The Little’s upcoming movie season. We will also sprinkle in movie trivia!
Photo detail by @I_Heart_ROC
Thursday, August 16, 2018
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission |SOLD OUT
Come and travel through time with us as we take you on a journey with “The Doctor” as our leader. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will bring you back to our beginnings in 1913, share the stories of ancient artifacts from our collection that may have saved humanity, and discuss periodization and temporality in art. We will be joined by Eboni Jones, space traveler and knower of all things “Doctor Who.” This DeTOUR℠ is sold out.
Thursday, July 19, 2018 | SOLD OUT!
6 – 7 pm | $12 tickets include museum admission
On this colorful MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will uncover the secret lives and lovers of LGBTQ+ artists in our collection. We will explore sexual identity and the human desire to belong, along with Europe’s part in Queer Culture (QC). QC was widely accepted in ancient Rome and then banned in Nazi Germany – we’ll discuss the changes in Europe throughout the years. Discover which artist belonged to a clandestine gay bohemian circle, who can rock a bomb pair of heels, and what’s up with horses in queer representation. We will be joined by our fab friend, Chloe Corcoran, LGBTQ activist.
shown: Chloe Corcoran, Grayson Perry, Kehinde Wiley
Thursday, June 21, 2018
6 – 7:30 pm | $15 includes DeTOUR℠, museum admission, and yoga instruction with Linda Lawrence | PURCHASE TICKETS
The summer solstice is the longest day of the year so why not make it the best day too? On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, you are invited to come and celebrate the summer season with an outdoor tour of MAG’s majestic flora, fauna, architecture, and sculpture, play games on the MAG lawn, hug some trees, and maybe even walk around barefoot if you feel so inclined. After the DeTOUR℠, Linda Lawrence will lead us in some yoga.
Please bring your yoga mat, water, and be sure to wear comfortable clothing. In case of rain, we will be moving the DeTOUR℠ and the yoga indoors.
Friday, June 1st, 2018
6 – 7 pm | $10 tickets include museum admission | SOLD OUT | Thank you for your support!
Winter is thankfully over in Rochester, but it’s just starting on Game of Thrones. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠ in honor of our love for Winterfell (yes, we have taken sides) we will talk about art alongside the increasingly complex and critical roles gender plays in the fantastical series, the significance of suits of armor, jousting, dragons (obviously), landscape in terms of warfare strategy, and we will basically use any excuse we can to bring up Jon Snow (above). Get your cloaks ready and come on this hero’s journey through the museum with us. Costumes welcome!
Thursday, April 19, 2018 | SOLD OUT
6 – 7:30 pm | $15 includes DeTOUR℠ admission and a private meet and greet with some zoo animals
Did you know that elephants use their feet to listen? And that tigers have “eyes” on the back of their ears to ward off potential attackers? And that the male penguin incubates the eggs while the female leaves to hunt? On this MAGsocial DeTOUR, we are teaming up with our friends at the Seneca Park Zoo to tell you all about the animals in our collection and their real-life counterparts. Find out what Chester the lion eats for breakfast, what the golden tamarin’s favorite enrichment activity is, which animal is the oldest at the zoo, and other fun facts about animals and art!
Shown above: The Fox and the Heron, (detail) ca. 1630-1640 by Frans Snyders; Golden Lion Tamarin (photo detail) by A. Kelli O’Brien, 2014.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
6 – 7:30 pm | $15 ticket includes DeTOUR℠ admission and hair styling class
Hair is often seen as a symbol of identity, femininity, and freedom. In the past, long hair was part of cultural traditions and was viewed as sacred. Today, hair care is a multibillion-dollar industry. In art, hair is used to convey a person’s social status, emotional state, and physical well-being. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming up with Nico Merritt, haircare extraordinaire, from Barbetorium to look at the elements of art that impact hairstyles. After the DeTOUR℠, he will show us some easy stylings so that we too can look and feel like magnificent muses.
Shown above l to r: The Kabuki Actor Yamashita Kinsaku I in the Role of Ôiso no Tora Edo Period (1600-1868), after 1739 by Okumura Toshinobu; Colette circa 1908-1910 by Kathleen McEnery Cunningham; Two Women Talking by Douglas Warner Gorsline; Sketch of a Girl’s Head detail, 1852 by James E. Freeman.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
6 – 7 pm | $10 tickets include museum admission
We are teaming up with Emily Hessney Lynch from I Heart ROC to talk about all things Rochester. On this DeTOUR℠ centralizing on local love, we will talk about our Rochester roots, artists in our collection born and raised here, flower fun, how the I Heart ROC blog and Instagram celebrate our fair city, and more.
Thursday, December 21, 2017 | SOLD OUT
6 – 7 pm | $10 tickets include museum admission
The Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance and since MAG is basically Hogwarts, on this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠ we are combining the wonders of the Wizarding World with the MAGic of our museum. We will take you on a journey of our secret passageways, unveil the mysteries behind our tapestry, highlight portraits that we’re pretty certain move from time to time, and unveil our very own ghost in the Egyptian wing of our collection. We will also talk about the tradition of balls in terms of the art world and, of course, the Bulgarian babe, Viktor Krum.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
6–7 pm | $10 tickets include museum admission
We’re going back to school for this MAGsocial DeTOUR inspired by the beloved line from the Breakfast Club, “But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basket case, a princess, and a criminal.” These stereotypes are not just rampant in schools and -now that some of us are “adults”- the workplace; they are also ever-present in the art world. On this night of throwbacks (complete with ripped jeans, baggy flannel, and maybe even some high tops (Yes! Get your outfits ready!)), we will tell you all about which artists in our collection would have been perfect to play your favorite Saturday morning detention attendee.
Thursday, October 19, 2017
6 – 7 pm | $10 tickets include museum admission and MCPI unveiling
Ever gotten a spooky feeling when hanging out in an art museum like something in a painting moved or that you couldn’t escape the eyes of a subject? Yeah. Us too. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are looking at our haunted works of art and discussing any and all possible presence of ghosts. After the DeTOUR℠, we will be joined by Monroe County Paranormal Investigations who will host a presentation in our Auditorium about who they are, how they track spirits, and what they found when they came to investigate MAG.
The DeTOUR℠ will be from 6-7 ish and their talk will be from 7-8 pm in the Auditorium.
This DeTOUR℠ is SOLD OUT. You can still join us for the Paranormal presentation, included in museum admission.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
$15 tickets include museum admission and yoga session || 6 pm – 7:30 pm
Exploration. Contemplation. Relaxation. Stimulation. These words are all associated with the harmony of art and the amity of yoga; on this special DeTOUR℠, we are combining art and yoga to give you an evening of mindfulness, meditation, and more at MAG. We will stroll through our Museum focusing on works portraying balance, awareness, and perspective and then we will head outside to enjoy yoga with Linda Lawrence under the warm canopy of our welcoming Linden trees.
Please bring your yoga mat, water, and be sure to wear comfortable clothing. In case of rain, we will be moving the yoga indoors.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
$10 tickets include museum admission
6 pm – 7 pm
Every single movie features artistic elements from costume and set design to character costume and make-up. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming up with our animated friend, Scott Pukos, from The Little Theatre to frame the role that art plays in movies. We will reveal the artistic inspiration behind our favorite films, Hollywood elite’s favorite artists from our collection, and we will highlight The Little’s upcoming movie season. Be prepared for movie trivia, mockumentary madness, and much more!
Thursday, July 20th
$10 tickets include museum admission
6 pm – 7 pm
The wizarding world of the Boy Who Lives meets the MAGic of Art! On this enchanting MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we are teaming up with our friend, Chris Fanning from Writers and Books, to introduce you to the magical creatures of our Museum grounds, share our herbology secrets, uncover the mysteries of the future under the cover of our astronomy tower, compete in H.P. trivia, defend against the dark arts (literally art that is dark), and more!
Thursday, June 15th
6 pm – 7 pm
Art and music have always gone hand-in-hand and on this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, you will get to experience the two simultaneously! We will be joined by Mona Seghatoleslami of WXXI and Adhoc for an immersive arts experience as we couple fine arts with the majesty of music, enjoying performances in our Museum space, learning together, laughing, exploring, and more.
Thursday, May 18th
6 pm – 7 pm
There is no love like a mother’s love and here at MAG we know that all too well; our Museum was founded thanks to the love Emily Sibley Watson had for her son, James Averill. On this special MAGsocial DeTOUR℠ in honor of Mother’s Day, we invite you to celebrate the love, sacrifice, and legacy the mothers in our collection have left behind and the lasting impact moms have had in our community. #momsareawesome
shown: Lilly Martin Spencer, Peeling Onions, ca. 1852
Thursday, April 20, 2017
6-7 pm
Spring is that most enchanting time of year when you remember how wonderful it is to be outside breathing in the fresh air, basking in the sun’s gentle glow, and cocooned in the peaceful sights and sounds of nature reawakening.
In honor of Earth Day (on April 22), we invite you to celebrate spring and the art of nature. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠, we will wander through MAG’s outdoors, exploring the majestic flora, fauna, architecture, and sculpture decorating the grounds, play games on the MAG lawn, hug some trees, and maybe even walk around barefoot.
This event is byog (bring your own granola).
Thursday, March 23, 2017
We don’t need Queen Bey to tell us what we already know: women are awesome. On this MAGsocial DeTOUR℠*, we will celebrate the women in MAG’s collection who made MAGnificent muses, painted perfect portraits, and who altered our perceptions of feminism, the art world, and who gave women the rights of agency. We will reveal the secret lives of females from our past, share fun facts about present-day artists, and celebrate all the wonders women have provided the art world and beyond. We hope you’ll leave feeling proud, inspired, and also unashamed of your unshaven legs (that’s the best part about winter #amirite)!
Thursday, February 16, 2017
On this DeTOUR℠*, Shawn Dunwoody shares the storytelling, community building, and tradition of the African and African American art in MAG’s collection. Together, we will uncover some of the secret stories behind our artists’ pasts, discover the impact of the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement, and celebrate the awesome accomplishments of modern and historical blacks in the art world and beyond. Here is a very cool write-up of our February DeTOUR℠ with Shawn Dunwoody by Museum Hack! read it here
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Get ready to meet marble hunks, oil-painted Adonises, and other MAG men and women who make you wish you were born four centuries ago. On this DeTOUR℠*, we’ll expose you to some of the art world’s best bachelors, spinsters, and finest eye candy, like our Italian stallion, pictured here. We’ll also give you the scoop on romantic quarrels that kept hearts apart and plunge deep into the secret stories of star-crossed lovers from antiquity to modernity.
Thursday, December 15th, 2016
On Thursday, December 15th we will take a look at the food in MAG’s collection and the people enjoying it. In this Detour℠ we will explore the secret – often scandalous – meanings of different fruits throughout the ages, the importance of wine and social status, and we will uncover how the modern day …“foodie” came to be. You may even learn how to braise a chicken and we can definitely tell you the secret to burning bread.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
On Thursday, November 17th we will take a look at the beards in MAG’s collection and the handsome men they belong to. In this Detour℠ we will explore beard trends throughout the ages, how the modern day beard has become synonymous with the “The Explorer” archetype, and how beards can shape how men are perceived.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Come check out our Detour℠ on October 20th from 6:00 to 6:45 pm: Phantom MAG – In this MAGsocial Detour℠, we explore the curious, the macabre, the sinister, and the gory works of art in our collection, paying close attention to Egyptian death rituals, mummification, and their views of the afterlife.
