Rochester's civic art museum awaits you: the Memorial Art Gallery, the MAG. Founded in 1913 by Emily Sibley Watson and given in trust to the University of Rochester, it occupies the southern half of the University's former Prince Street campus. Inside, a permanent collection of more than 13,000 objects anchors the region’s fine arts activity; the MAG also hosts the biennial Rochester‑Finger Lakes Exhibition and the annual Clothesline Festival.
For the gallery’s first 56 years admission was free, and that legacy shapes a recent effort: as part of the University of Rochester’s Forever Better Campaign the Free for All, Forever Initiative seeks to restore free access and remove barriers to the collection. In October 2025, Abby and University Trustee Doug Bennett, joined by the Sands Family Foundation led by co‑chairs Richard Sands and Robert Sands, donated $3 million to establish the "Free for All Endowment" with the stated goal of removing barriers and a capstone aim of permanent free admission to the gallery. Stand here and feel how a century of civic intent and recent philanthropic energy meet in this place.
In October 2025 a $3 million gift established the Free for All Endowment, aiming for permanent free admission here for you.