Mission:
To house and preserve preeminent collections of art, serve a broadly diverse audience by enabling direct encounters with distinguished works of art, and encourage public inquiry into and appreciation of the visual world.

Background:
The original Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) opened its doors to the public on July 4, 1876, the nation's centennial, with a collection of 5,600 works of art. With the collection and number of visitors growing exponentially, the museum moved in 1909 from Copley Square to its current location on Huntington Avenue. Today, the MFA is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, offering access to nearly 450,000 works, special exhibitions, and innovative educational programming to more than a million visitors a year.

Outstanding Web Features:

Visitors to the site can learn about current and upcoming exhibitions or programs; browse collections; or search for works of art by keyword or classification. They can also take an interactive tour of galleries organized by exhibition; artists; collections (e.g., prints and drawings, textiles and fashion arts, photography, musical instruments); geography (art of the Americas, Europe, Asia); or themes (still life, horses, women in art); license images of artworks held by the museum; or send an e-card featuring one of a number of works from the collection. By creating an account, visitors also can tag their "favorite" works of art, personalize the site to their interests/liking, and/or sign up for MFA's e-newsletter.