Harvard Art Museums staff members are settling into brand new offices. Floors, windows, and the dramatic glass roof are being cleaned and polished. Object labels are being affixed; art is being hung and arranged in display cases. It’s been more than six years since our building at 32 Quincy Street closed for renovation, but after a few more finishing touches, the Harvard Art Museums will soon be ready to open to the public once again.
More than fifteen events are scheduled to offer previews before the museums’ official November 16 public opening; we’ve listed just a few of them here. Because we expect such a large turnout, most preview events require timed-ticket reservations (check individual links for details).
The very first preview is the Harvard Student Opening, an evening free to all undergraduate and graduate Harvard students, on Thursday, November 6. All galleries will be open for viewing, and there will be a number of special programs, including musical performances.
The following week gives Harvard faculty, donors, and members the chance to visit the newly renovated facility. Then, the weekend of November 14 through 16 brings three straight days of celebration, starting with Harvard Community Day on Friday, November 14. The museums will offer free admission to any member of the university community with a Harvard ID from noon to 7pm.
On Saturday, November 15, Cambridge residents receive free admission to the museums between 10am and 7pm, as part of Cambridge Community Day. (Note that the museums continue to offer free admission to Cambridge residents at any time.)
Opening events culminate with the museums’ official first day open to the public on Sunday, November 16. The date also marks the opening of the inaugural special exhibition, Mark Rothko’s Harvard Murals. Admission is free, and the museums will be open for extended hours, from 10am to 10pm.
Starting Monday, November 17, we will settle into the museums’ normal hours of 10am to 5pm, and free admission is extended to all visitors on this day and the following day, Tuesday, November 18.
We hope you’ll come out to celebrate with us!
