Overhauled Gibbes Museum to Reopen May 28
A century-old set of blueprints, over $13 million, and nearly two years’ worth of renovations
By Katie Kerns Geer
After closing its doors for renovations for nearly two years, the Gibbes Museum of Art is ready to show off it’s enhancements.
A century-old set of blueprints, over $13 million, and nearly two years’ worth of renovations—these are just a few of the makings of the much-anticipated transformation of Charleston’s Gibbes Museum of Art. And now, after a lengthy hiatus, the museum has announced that it will reopen to the public on May 28, 2016.
So what can we expect from the new, improved Gibbes? First, a Beaux Arts style of architecture (think New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art), which was inspired by the museum’s original 1905 design. In 2008, 111-year-old blueprints were unearthed from the City of Charleston archives— renderings of the original building that then went on to serve as a guide for the Gibbes’ renovation team.
“One of the first challenges was to understand the original 1905 building, which had been obscured considerably by the 1970s addition that wrapped around the back of the original structure,” says Angela D. Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art.
“Once we understood how the building was meant to be experienced, our architectural firm was able to develop an approach that was both historically accurate, but also incorporated modern museum building requirements and amenities.”
School of the Americas, 2010, by Bo Bartlett (American, b. 1955), oil on panel, collection of Stacy and Jay Underwood.
In addition to the historic rekindling (Mack notes that original marbelithic tile floors have been uncovered, and art glass has been returned “to its original gleaming colors”), visitors will also witness a total transformation of the ground floor, which has been redesigned to be a free-admission creative gathering spot for the community. This area of the museum will feature a creative education center (where classes will be offered, from after-school programs to classes for adults), artist studios, lecture halls, event spaces, a museum store, and a café. The museum’s gardens can also be reached from the ground floor.
Little River 3, 2014, by Damian Stamer (American, b. 1982), oil on panel, courtesy of the artist.
The second and third floors have expanded, increasing their gallery space by 30 percent. This is where museum-goers can view some of the more than 10,000 works in the Gibbes’ collection (including, of course, its extensive collection of miniature portraits). An updated logo and new website also help complete the transformation.
Strawberry Woman, 2013, by Kara Walker (American, b. 1969), lithograph on paper, museum purchase, 2015.005.0003.
And it wouldn’t be the Gibbes we know and love if the museum didn’t reopen with an exhibition that pays homage to the Holy City. From May 28 to October 9, the Gibbes will host an exhibition entitled The Things We Carry: Contemporary Art in the South. Organized in response to the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church, a number of nationally recognized artists will display works that address the South’s difficult history regarding race, as well as Charleston’s response to the tragedy last June.
A separate exhibition, Beyond Catfish Row: The Art of Porgy and Bess, will coincide with the Spoleto Festival USA and its special production of George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess.
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