Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (1929-), Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. Closing for renovation June 15, 2019 - Oct. 21, 2019.

[DonRocks]

MOMA is one of the finest modern-art museums in the world, accommodating 2.8-million visitors in 2016, which was #13 in the world that year.

In Midtown, it houses such masterpieces as "The Bather" by Paul Cezanne, "The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh, "The Dance (1)" by Henri Matisse, "The Dream" by Henri Rousseau, and many, many more.
   

[Steve R.]

Yes, but I hate it.  The design is impressive until you try to find a single place where you can stand (let alone sit) & admire any piece of art without masses of people having to walk in front of you.

[DonRocks]

On 12/4/2018 at 2:23 PM, Steve R. said:

Yes, but I hate it.  The design is impressive until you try to find a single place where you can stand (let alone sit) & admire any piece of art without masses of people having to walk in front of you.

This is more a function of location than form, no? Could this museum be in a more popular location? (I mean, I suppose it could be in Times Square, but you know what I'm saying.)

I guess they could have timed entry - that has worked well in Washington DC's National Museum of African-American History and Culture (for those who have gotten in).

Put another way, isn't NYC better off having MoMA than not having it? Now that I think about it, it's fairly amazing how many times I've been here, but lately, it has been to accompany first-time visitors.

[Steve R.]

MOMA's collection and its availability are great for NYC & we go (albeit with mixed feelings).  Its the architecture/design of the place itself that, in my opinion, greatly detracts from the experience and, in fact, hinders the enjoyment of the art.  I don't think it would matter if there were half as many people there, since the overall space was utilized in a way that makes for a very dramatic open middle but cuts out any depth for many of the exhibition spaces and places art in areas where you need to stand directly in front of the piece to view it without folks having to walk in front of you (like escalator landings!).  Its a traffic design problem that even Ikea understands.  The idea was to create as modern a space as the art it holds, but this execution of that concept is probably one of the worst things that they could've done with modern art, as stepping back and appreciating a piece from a reasonable distance is (for me, at least) a necessity.  Rant over.

[Tweaked]

Be aware, MoMA will be closed June 15, 2019 - Oct. 21, 2019 for a major renovation and expansion.