September 3, 2014
BMA to Celebrate 100th Anniversary with Grand Reopening of Renowned Collection of American Art in November 2014
New Presentation Provides Visitors with a Fresh Perspective on Celebrated Collection of American Art Through Integration of Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts
BALTIMORE, MD (UPDATED October 15, 2014)—In celebration of The Baltimore Museum of Art’s 100th anniversary, the museum will reopen the Merrick Historic Entrance and the renovated Dorothy McIlvain Scott American Wing on November 23, 2014 with a new presentation of its outstanding collection of American art, considered one of the finest on the East Coast. Visitors will be able to explore new facets of American art, history, and culture through more than 850 paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts displayed throughout the second level of the museum’s original building, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece by the great American architect John Russell Pope.
The reinstallation of the American Wing marks a major milestone in the BMA’s $28 million renovation to provide visitors with a more welcoming environment and revitalized displays of the museum’s celebrated collections. The first phase was successfully completed with the November 2012 reopening of the Contemporary Wing. A dramatically redesigned Zamoiski East Entrance, Lobby, and BMA Shop are expected to open in late September or early October 2014. The final phase of the multi-year project will be marked by the reinstallation of the African and Asian art collections in April 2015 and the opening of a new center for learning and creativity in October 2015.
Major support for the American Wing renovation was provided by the State of Maryland, France-Merrick Foundation, City of Baltimore, Middendorf Foundation, Estate of Christopher Weeks, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Friends of the American Wing.
“Reopening the historic entrance will be an extraordinary moment during the BMA’s centennial celebration,” said BMA Director Doreen Bolger. “We are looking forward to throwing open the doors and welcoming visitors to a beautiful new presentation of our renowned American collection.”
Organized by BMA Senior Curator of Decorative Arts and American Painting & Sculpture David Park Curry, the museum’s magnificent new presentation of the American art collection invites visitors to explore more than 200 years of American art through a broad range of objects, most dating from 1760 through 1960. The reinstallation will place American art in a global context with artworks from England, France, and other countries displayed to emphasize our nation’s participation in international art circles and Baltimore’s role as a major center for art production and intercontinental trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Likewise, paintings and sculpture will be integrated with decorative arts to reveal the social, economic, and cultural links between the often-separated disciplines.
“By expanding the approach to American art both geographically and chronologically, the BMA’s reinstallation highlights the deep ties between American art, our nation’s history, and the broader world,” said Curry. “We hope visitors will be inspired by the stories contained in each of these incredible works of art, connecting the objects to the people who created and collected them.”
Among the highlights of the reinstallation is a gallery showcasing the spectacular stained glass, mosaics, and silver of Louis Comfort Tiffany; two galleries of modern American masterworks by Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Joseph Stella, and others; and a large salon-hung gallery of art produced in Maryland, created by Maryland artists, of Maryland subjects, or owned by Maryland collectors. Intriguing juxtapositions bring together pieces such as Jackson Pollock’s Water Birds (1943) with Frederick Shirley’s “lava” glass Vase (c. 1878), which anticipates drip painting by three quarters of a century. A selection of 21st-century objects, like Richard Lee’s Sinking and Burning (2005) cabinet with reverse glass painting, also reveal surprising connections between historic and contemporary American art. New acquisitions making their debut with the reopening include a lifetime cast of Frederic Remington’s Bronco Buster (1906) and one of five surviving examples of a Herter Brothers side chair (c.1883) commissioned for J. Pierpont Morgan’s Madison Avenue mansion.
The American Wing reinstallation also includes four late-18th century architectural interiors from historic homes in Maryland—Eltonhead Manor (c. 1760-70), Chestertown Room (c. 1771), Habre de Venture (c. 1773), and Willow Brook (1799) that will become galleries for silver and painted furniture.
Fascinating stories about the art, artists, and collectors will be told through BMA Go Mobile, a mobile-optimized website launched in 2012 that will be expanded with a rich selection of audio, video, and text; a new printed gallery guide with activities for families; and new wall texts.
New Exhibitions
In conjunction with the American Wing reopening, the BMA is presenting three new exhibitions that showcase the creativity of contemporary artists in the U.S. and the needlework achievements of 17th-20th-century American schoolgirls. In the Contemporary Wing On Paper: Alternate Realities (September 21, 2014–April 12, 2015) presents 26 prints by a diverse group of artists living and working in America who are engaging in a dialog between high and low art by playfully exaggerating and reimaging the visual language of popular culture—religious stories, myths, and folk tales—to consider larger issues of class, gender, and politics. Front Room: Dario Robleto (November 16, 2014– March 29, 2015) features sculptures, prints, and cut-paper works that weave together the histories of recorded light and sound inspired by nautical history, space exploration, early sound recordings, and family legacies within American popular music. The show debuts three works created by Robleto (American, born 1972) at the Headlands Center of the Arts in Sausalito, CA, including two inspired by the BMA’s proximity to The Johns Hopkins University Space Telescope Science Institute. A gallery dedicated to textiles in the American Wing will reopen with Lessons Learned: American Schoolgirl Embroideries (November 23, 2014–May 2015), an exhibition of more than 20 early American samplers and silk embroideries from the 1700s through the turn of the 20th century. These intricately embroidered textiles include landscapes, still lifes, literary and Biblical scenes, and tributes to national heroes.
Renovation of the Historic Merrick Entrance and the Dorothy McIlvain Scott American Wing
The BMA was John Russell Pope’s first museum commission and is often considered the institution’s largest work of art. The original grand entrance, which ushered generations of visitors into the museum from 1929 to 1982, will reopen to the public on November 23, 2014. Through the support of a $1 million gift from the France-Merrick Foundation, the historic entrance has been revitalized with an elegantly conserved façade and improved lighting. The reopening of the Merrick Historic Entrance will give more prominence to the Dorothy McIlvain Scott American Wing, which has been under renovation for two years. Visitors will enter a grand columned hall to view masterworks from the BMA’s expansive holdings of American art in 10 adjacent galleries and four architectural interiors. Renovations to the Pope-designed Beaux-Arts building include restoring three of the original 1929 chandeliers for the center hall, improving gallery wall and floor finishes, installing state-of-the-art lighting, and adding visitor amenities such as a new reception desk. Pope’s original floor plan includes a diversity of art-viewing experiences throughout the wing, varying from intimate-sized galleries and period rooms to grand galleries with high ceilings and skylights.
Zamoiski East Entrance, Lobby, and BMA Shop Renovation
A complete renovation of the museum’s Zamoiski East Entrance and Lobby will create a more open and expansive central gathering place for visitors. Improvements include relocating the main stairs to create a more inviting pathway to the second floor galleries, erecting a gracefully curved wall to delineate an enhanced retail space, and refurbishing all lobby surfaces with updated materials and finishes. Enhanced visitor amenities for the lobby include more restrooms and additional seating. The new BMA Shop will have a modern boutique atmosphere for art-inspired gifts and souvenirs as well as new merchandise inspired by objects in the American collection.
PROJECT ARCHITECT: Ziger/Snead Architects
Ziger/Snead Architects has provided original design solutions and superior service for public and private clients in the Baltimore region and beyond for more than 28 years. Their expertise includes work for academic campuses, cultural institutions, non-profit headquarters and community centers, religious spaces, urban redevelopment and mixed-use projects, and custom residential design. Previous projects include the Maryland Historical Society and Brown Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art with Charles Brickbauer, and the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum.
CAMPAIGN: In a New Light: The Campaign for The Baltimore Museum of Art
In a New Light is the most ambitious philanthropic campaign in the BMA’s history. Since announcing the leadership phase of the campaign in 2008, the BMA has received commitments for $75 million. The campaign includes six key fundraising areas: endowment funds for core artistic and educational programs, immediate impact funds to support new initiatives during the campaign, capital support, annual operating support, planned gifts, and gifts of art to enhance the collection. Recognizing the need for long-term financial stability, the Museum prioritized the endowment first and has raised $31.1 million or 104 percent of the $30 million endowment goal.
About the Baltimore Museum of Art
Founded in 1914, the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) inspires people of all ages and backgrounds through exhibitions, programs, and collections that tell an expansive story of art—challenging long-held narratives and embracing new voices. Our outstanding collection of more than 97,000 objects spans many eras and cultures and includes the world’s largest public holding of works by Henri Matisse; one of the nation’s finest collections of prints, drawings, and photographs; and a rapidly growing number of works by contemporary artists of diverse backgrounds. The museum is also distinguished by a neoclassical building designed by American architect John Russell Pope and two beautifully landscaped gardens featuring an array of modern and contemporary sculpture. The BMA is located three miles north of the Inner Harbor, adjacent to the main campus of Johns Hopkins University, and has a community branch at Lexington Market. General admission is free so that everyone can enjoy the power of art.
Press Contacts
For media in Baltimore:
Anne Brown
Baltimore Museum of Art
Senior Director of Communications
abrown@artbma.org
410-274-9907
Sarah Pedroni
Baltimore Museum of Art
Communications Manager
spedroni@artbma.org
410-428-4668
Alina Sumajin
PAVE Communications
alina@paveconsult.com
646-369-2050