Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Boston plans to reopen on Saturday, Sept. 26, after having been closed since March 12 to help stem the spread of coronavirus. The museum that reopens will have a smaller staff after layoffs and offer fewer galleries, as only part of the building is reopening.
“This was—and will continue to be—a challenging time for all of us, but we remain guided by our belief in the power of bringing art and people together,” MFA Director Matthew Teitelbaum said in a press release.
On Aug. 3, the museum announced that, due to the financial impact of the MFA’s extended closure, it had laid off 57 members of its staff as it faces the long-term financial damage of the pandemic. In addition, 56 employees volunteered for early retirement, the museum said. An “MFA Boston Staff Mutual Aid Fund” launched on GoFundMe.com raised $125,842 for laid-off and furloughed staff, according to the website.
The museum plans to open the building in sections, beginning with the 31 galleries of the Art of the Americas Wing plus two special exhibitions that had opened before the pandemic—”Women Take the Floor” and the teen-curated “Black Histories, Black Futures.”
The MFA will reopen at a reduced capacity for safety. Hours will be reduced to Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission will be only via advance timed-entry tickets, available for purchase only online or by phone.
During the reopening weekend, a public art installation “No Weapon Formed Against Thee Shall Prosper” created by Cey Adams, Sophia Dawson and Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez via Street Theory Gallery will be displayed on the museum’s Huntington Avenue lawn. It will feature portraits of George Floyd and his mother, Larcenia Floyd, Martin Luther King Jr. and a protestor. The project debuted at Ideal Glass Studios in New York City this summer. The MFA presentation will add two new panels with further contributions by the museum’s artists-in-residence Rob “Problak” Gibbs and Rob Stull.
Beginning in October, the museum plans to debut three exhibitions that were originally slated to open in the spring: “Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation” (Oct. 18, 2020, to May 16, 2021), “Monet and Boston: Lasting Impression” (Nov. 15, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021) and “Cézanne: In and Out of Time” (Nov. 11, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021).
Previously:
March 26: Museum Of Fine Arts Doesn’t Expect To Reopen Before July, Mulls Layoffs
April 1: MFA Cancels All Events And Programs Through Aug. 31
April 3: MFA To Furlough Approximately 340, Remain Closed Through June 30
Aug. 3: MFA Lays Off 57 And 56 More Volunteer For Early Retirement