Although winter brings with it short days and long nights, the Harvard Art Museums’ new facility has added a spot of brightness to the season along Prescott Street and Broadway. A welcoming new entrance has been created on Prescott Street—an entrance that provides views into the Calderwood Courtyard and one that is flanked by two galleries with glass walls. While testing the energy-efficient LED lighting in these spaces on a recent evening, we were struck by the warm glow they created, inviting us to come inside.

When we open our renovated and expanded facility this fall, these transparent new galleries will feature non–light-sensitive works from the collections. For the stream of vehicles and pedestrians passing by this intersection, there will be no mistaking what lies within our facility: a world-class collection of art and a warm welcome.