Photo credits: The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA)

The Museum of Bad Art (MOBA) is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting art that would be found no in no other venue. MOBA’s gallery is in Dorchester, Massachusetts, United States with a second gallery in Quebec City, PQ, Canada.

The gallery exhibits about 70 pieces, each accompanied by an interpretation to help visitors appreciate the art. MOBA never mocks or insults the art or the artists. They appreciate the effort and find joy in the outcome.

The collection of almost 900 pieces, includes galleries like "Unseen Forces," "Poor Traits," and "In the Nood." MOBA acquires art from yard sales, thrift stores, trash piles, and from the artists who created them. To be accepted, a piece must be sincere, original, and an attempt to communicate, but something has gone wrong in concept or execution. Lack of skill is not enough. MOBA looks for pieces that elicit “Wow! Look at that!”

The Museum of Bad Art has a strong following on social media and has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, NPR, and the BBC.

Admission is free. MOBA offers Curator Talks via Zoom to libraries, businesses, and schools, and publishes books and an annual wall calendar. MOBA brings a lighter note to the world of art by celebrating creativity and effort, even when it falls short of traditional standards.

All rights to the photographs are reserved by the museum. Any use, reproduction, or distribution is permitted solely with the prior consent of the museum.

1) Photo Lucy in the Field with Flowers
Creator - Unknown
Rescued from the trash in Boston, MA, 1993
The motion, the chair, the sway of her breast, the subtle hues of the sky, the expression on her face; every detail combines to create the transcendent and compelling portrait that cries out "masterpiece.” This painting was the seed that grew into MOBA when Scott Wilson, an antiques dealer, rescued it from a pile of roadside trash in 1993.

2) Unsafe at Home
Creator - Anonymous (anonymous donation).
The Red Sox runner successfully avoids the catcher's tag at the plate, only to be swallowed by a mysterious fan/beast. The viewer is left to wonder why he decided to return home from first base.

3) Answer Me
Creator - Shauna Peck (donated by the artist’s mother).
Mauve madness transcends the trite with agony too painful to behold. Passionate purple defines the despairing woman, the roiling sea, and the angry sky.

4) Marti & Jay
Creator - Peter Andreg (donated by Marti & Jay).
Interestingly sparse in its treatment of the human face, this piece on the advancement of time dwells luxuriously on the detailed development from fuchsia bush to impenetrable briar, with bells on.

5) Giraffe at the Beach
Creator - Anonymous
Purchased in a thrift shop in Prescott, AZ and donated by Susan & William Cross, June 2015.
Knowing his species does not swim, a lone giraffe stays very close to the beach as he walks gingerly in a rough sea. Perhaps he has strayed so far from his normal grassy savannah habitat in a desperate search for relief from the noxious yellow cloud that hovers incessantly around his head.