Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery has been well-known in the art world for many years. With its mission to promote diversity in art and provide a platform for a wide range of artistic perspectives and cultural backgrounds, MAG has recently taken a significant step towards fulfilling this goal with the opening of a new sculpture park.

After years of planning and major construction, the ribbon was finally cut on Sunday, marking the completion of the second phase of the Centennial Sculpture Park. This park, across from School of the Arts, has become a testament to the dedication and vision of the MAG in creating an inclusive and diverse art space.

The new portion of the sculpture park features six new sculptures, each adding a unique artistic voice to the collection. However, it is important to note that this expansion should not be seen as separate from the existing park but as one cohesive entity. 

Michael Marsh, the interim director of MAG, emphasized that point.

"We very much want people to look at this as one sculpture park," Marsh said. "You know, the sculpture park on the good ministry side. Now we're on the Prince Street side, and so this is one park itself. There are six in this new portion of the park, but then there are many others that people have experienced for years."

This new initiative by MAG comes at a time in the U.S. when museums are being called upon to take a more proactive approach to diversity and inclusion. 

"We would like to believe that we offer both outside of our facilities and within our facilities programs, exhibits, artists, artwork, and events that reflect our broader community," said Marsh. "That's part of our mission and our vision, and today truly exemplifies bringing that to life."

The opening of this side of the park to the community was the result of over a year of conversations, collaboration and support from various stakeholders. MAG received state and local grants, as well as private funding, to bring this vision to fruition. The MAG says the park now stands as a symbol of unity, celebrating the rich diversity of artistic expression and cultural heritage within the community.

With the completion of this new phase, the MAG says the Centennial Sculpture Park not only serves as an outdoor gallery but also as a space for community engagement and dialogue.