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American Galleries Close for Renovation

With generous support from The Henry Luce Foundation and Joan and Macon Brock, the Museum begins a sweeping renovation of the Chrysler’s early 19th–century American and European galleries. The project involves refinishing the floors and walls, upgrading the lighting and climate control, and a major reinterpretation and reinstallation of works of art normally shown in these areas. Over the last decade, the Museum’s staff has renovated and reinstalled its second-floor painting and sculpture galleries, presenting its beloved treasures in an exciting new light. The process began in 1998 when the newly refurbished McKinnon Galleries of Modern Art, the James H. Ricau Gallery of American Sculpture, and the Alice and Sol B. Frank Photography Galleries were unveiled. The Museum’s six late 19th– and early 20th–century galleries underwent a similar restoration in 1999. In 2001, the seven dramatically refurbished Dalis Foundation Galleries of European Art also opened for public viewing. The Chrysler is now ready to resume this process of restoration and complete the second-floor galleries that are still in need of refurbishing.

The newly transformed galleries are slated to reopen in March 2008 as the Brock Galleries. Though the galleries themselves are closed during the eight-month project, selected works that are normally displayed in these areas are still available for public viewing in the Museum.