Starting May 14, the Eskenazi Museum of Art will close for renovations and will potentially not reopen for at least two years.
The renovations will include a variety of technical changes to the building, director David Brenneman said.
“The museum was fully opened in 1982, and buildings of course get old, and their systems for regulating temperature and humidity begin to fail,” Brenneman said . “So, first and foremost, we need to replace those to maintain the integrity of our collection.”
Exchanging electrical systems is just one part of the renovations. The museum also plans on expanding into the fine arts library, creating a new education center, emphasizing their conservation center, and revitalizing underused and under-appreciated collections, Brenneman said.
“We plan on bringing forward and highlighting several museum functions, like the conservation and education centers, to help enable both students and teachers to really engage with our collections,” Brenneman said.
While Brenneman said he believes the museum’s plans will ultimately prove beneficial to the University and visitors alike, some people are not as enthusiastic about the renovations as others. Undergraduate student and museum regular Evan O’Neal said he is dreading the quickly approaching closure.
“I know that these renovations will probably be worthwhile when they’re finally done,” O’Neal said. “But this year I’ve been going at least once or twice a week, and I obviously won’t be able to study or look around anymore once it closes. I’m a sophomore now, too, so I might graduate and already be gone before it’s even finished.”
However, the museum is aware of the inconveniences the renovations will produce for frequent visitors like O’Neal and will provide several large events to compensate. Along with weekly and monthly functions, new exhibitions will consistently be featured at the museum until the closure.
“If you have to pick a day to go, the first Thursday of every month this semester is the best time to visit the museum,” manager of museum public relations and marketing Abraham Morris said.
The appropriately named “First Thursdays” are free festivals in the Showalter plaza and feature live music, local food and museum activities. Each festival also has a particular theme, with March and April focusing on Women’s History Month and contemporary Chinese culture, respectively.
In addition to First Thursdays, there will be a round of special exhibitions this spring, happening March 11 until May 7. These exhibitions include the photography of Chinese artist Chee Wang Ng, post-World War II abstract paintings and collections from IU MFA candidates.
Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission will also remain free and open to the public until the museum closes May 14.
“The events we have planned will be a solid way to send us off, but I don’t want to focus too much on the farewell aspect,” Brenneman said. “Instead I’d rather look to the future of the museum, and I have really high hopes of what we’re gonna achieve through the renovations.”
“A Step In Time, Across the Line: Recent Work by Chee Wang Ng”: A contemporary artist from New York, Chee will use large-scale photography, video and art installations to shed light on Chinese culture.
“Abstract Painting in Europe, 1949-1968”: American post-war abstract art is widely known, but this exhibition will instead showcase paintings from its lesser known European counterpart, as well as provide context as to what affect the Second World War had on art in Europe.
“MFA Thesis Exhibitions”: There will also be three individual rounds of exhibitions from graduate MFA candidates. Information on which artists will be featured will be released at the end of February..
