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Behind the Seen: The Chrysler's Hidden Museum
Large Changing Gallery
October 21, 2005 – February 19, 2006

The Daily Press has compiled a remarkable photo gallery documenting the behind the-scene preparations for this unique exhibition.

Though the Chrysler’s collection of European and American art is nationally renowned, only seventy percent of its holdings in those areas can be exhibited at any given time. The remaining thirty percent – literally thousands of works of art – is kept securely locked in the vaults of Museum storage.

On October 21, the Museum unveiled Behind the Seen: The Chrysler’s Hidden Museum, filling the Large Changing Gallery with nearly 200 of the finest works from Museum storage – an extraordinary array of European and American paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings dating from the seventeenth century to the present day. Through these treasures, Behind the Seen will tell the story of the Museum’s dramatic growth over the past seventy years.

The show focuses on four key facets of the Museum: The remarkable permanent collection, more than 30,000 pieces which span more than 5,000 years of art history; the donors, from collectors such as Goldsborough Serpell, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., James Ricau, the Mowbray Arch Society, and a host of others have helped shape the Museum as it stands today; the exhaustive research about the art that constantly gleans more information about the collection and its artistic and historical importance, our crucial effort to conserve our masterpieces to their original splendor for posterity. In every sense, Behind the Seen stands at the very heart of the Chrysler’s mission “to bring art and people together to enrich and transform lives.”

The exhibition is on display in the Norfolk Southern Large Changing Galleries. An entire roster of exciting programs and other special events are planned during the run of the show, many of which will allow visitors a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings “behind the seen” at the Chrysler. Please visit the Education and Events page for more information.

The Chrysler Museum would like to acknowledge the generous support of the Business Exhibition Council for making this extraordinary exhibition possible.