Art Complex Museum

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A black, white, and dark blue striped header image with the text Art Complex Museum

On the same day I visited Alden House National Historic Site, I went down the street in Duxbury, MA to see the Art Complex Museum. This small contemporary art museum combined unique architecture and internationally renowned artists with the work of local creators. The visit started outside the building, as sculptures stood on the grounds. I recognized Five Shaker Houses as the work of George Greenamyer, whose sculpture Glace Bay stands outside Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, MA.

A one-story building with a wavy roof at the far end of a wide driveway surrounded by grassy lawns and trees Art Complex Museum Sign A wrought iron sculpture standing in front of a one-story building with large windows and a wavy roof

Art Complex Museum began in 1971 to house the collection of Charles “Carl” Augustus Weyerhaeuser, Jr., his wife Edith, and their family. In fact, their son Charles Weyerhaeuser served as museum director since 1973 until a few days ago, when the role transitioned to Peter Mello, who previously managed WaterFire Providence. The collection included European and American prints, Shaker furniture, and Asian art, including a Japanese tea house. The grounds encompass over thirteen acres, and the reference library holds over 5,000 publications. Besides creating the museum in Duxbury, Weyerhaeuser was a founder of Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, MA.

A black, white, and red abstract art piece that looks vaguely like a human skull inside a bird nest A tiny screen playing a Japanese Tea Ceremony embedded in a white wall with information text describing the ceremony Along the wall is a combination of informational signage, drawers, and cubbies holding books

The tea house on the property was built in 1969 and hosts free events during the warmer months. A video of the full ceremony with explanation about each part of the ritual was available for viewing, along with the tea set used for the ceremony. Nearby was an interactive timeline describing the history of the museum. Visitors could read the well-lit if wordy story of the family’s success with their timber company in the American Pacific Northwest and later in Japan. Carl’s grandfather, German American immigrant Frederick Edward Weyerhaeuser, Sr., founded the company in 1900. Pull out drawers held a range of artifacts, including a photo of Carl Weyerhaeuser as a toddler in a Tiffany frame, Japanese clothing accessories, and a painted box for holding writing implements.

Short sculpture of a humanoid bunny holding a book Large Art Instillation of Life-Sized Mannequins at a Central American Inspired Burial Site A large, colorful window embedded in the wall.

The galleries had some permanent installations. A massive print by Alexander Calder called Skull in the Nest (Le crâne dans le nid) was painted onto the wall. The atrium featured a stained glass window depicting magnolia and wisteria, which was created by Louis Comfort Tiffany in the early 20th century. The window originally hung in Phoenix Hall in St. Paul, MN, a home owned by the parents of Carl, Charles Augustus Weyerhaeuser, Sr. and Frances Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser Sanborn. For less permanent installations in the atrium, an alcove held toy-like figures created by Michael Stasuik. My favorite was Reading Bunny, a little statue of a humanoid rabbit looking up from a book.

Etching of the upper body of a little girl wearing late 19th century clothing On the left, an island covered with trees floats in a blue sky with puffy white clouds; on the right, the tree island floats at sunset, and a tree flies away from the island A yellow moon in the tan sky with dark silhouettes of birds migrating overlaid with white outlines of leaves

In the other gallery was the exhibit Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going? featuring work from the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Association of Women Artists, along with pieces from famous artists in the Art Complex Museum collection. My favorites included an etching called The Young Girl (Le Jeune Fille) by Impressionist artist Mary Cassatt; the oil painting diptych Spring is in the Air and Emigres by C.J. Lori, which celebrated the seasons in New England as part of her The Trees Leaving series; and the acrylic painting When Seeds Lie Low and Cold by Heather Stivison as part of her Seeds of Change series, which was painted so precisely that I originally thought it was a print.

Art Complex Museum is free, well-lit, and fully wheelchair accessible. The signage was somewhat text heavy, and no audio tour was available. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., unless otherwise stated on the website. The visited took about forty-five minutes, but those interested in watching the entire tea ceremony or reading books from the collection while relaxing in a comfortable chair could easily spend more time there. The design of the doors leading to the bathrooms were a unique architectural feature in that they blended into the wall, but the pair of docents at the entrance pointed them out as soon as I arrived. If you are in the Duxbury area, it is worth stopping by this unique and high quality museum.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 9/10

Accessibility: 9/10



Location: 189 Alden St, Duxbury, MA 02332, USA