Museum of Bad Art, Paper House offer 2 unusual Massachusetts attractions
Boston’s Museum of Bad Art and Rockport’s Paper House transform overlooked art and old newspapers into two of Massachusetts’ most unusual attractions
BOSTON —
The Museum of Bad Art, now housed at Dorchester Brewing Company in Boston, collects works found at yard sales, thrift stores and even in the trash — as long as they were created as serious attempts at art.
“It’s art that was created in an attempt to make art, but in which something has gone wrong,” curator in Chief Michael Frank said.
The museum previously had homes in Dedham and Somerville. Executive Director Louise Sacco said its mission isn’t to mock the artists, but to “collect, exhibit, and celebrate” their work.
Frank said most artists are excited to learn their work has been displayed. If an artist objects, the museum returns the piece without question.
About 40 miles north, another unconventional collection has been preserved in Rockport.
The Paper House was built by mechanical engineer Elis Denman, who experimented with using layers of newspaper as insulation on the walls. His family spent six summers there before he moved out in 1929.
Denman eventually expanded the idea to furniture. His great-niece and the house’s caretaker, Edna Beaudoin, said an early paper chair broke when Denman sat on it, so the engineer simply tried again.
Today, the Paper House operates largely on the honor system and continues attracting curious visitors.