The Bruce Museum is in the midst of a $60 million campaign that will double the size of a museum that has been as much about science and natural history in its 107-year history as it has been about the visual arts.
The campaign for the 70,000-square-foot new Bruce includes $45 million for the design, by Yale School of Architecture graduate Steve Dumez of the New Orleans firm EskewDumezRipple, and construction; along with $15 million to support the museum’s endowment. Two renovated galleries are scheduled to debut on Feb. 1 and construction of the new wing is slated to begin in the summer of next year. The new Bruce bows in the summer of 2022.
But that doesn’t mean the museum is going dark during this period. There will be programming throughout the fall while the renovations are underway. And, as if to prove the point, the Bruce is holding a free day of family fun Sunday, Sept. 8 – a day before work on the renovations begins.
There’s a quiet hour from 11 a.m. to noon for children and families with special needs looking for a sensory-friendly experience. But then the revelry kicks into high gear. Join the Bruce to explore construction trucks provided by Eversource and first responder vehicles. Participate in design- and construction-related crafts. Enjoy cold-brew coffee courtesy of Rise Brewing Co. Take a chance on raffle prizes. You’ll even have an opportunity to draw on the museum’s walls.
Your turn to be Picasso lasts from noon to 4 p.m., so come on out. And bring your colored pencils.
For more, visit brucemuseum.org. And look for a profile of the Bruce Museum’s new Susan E. Lynch executive director and CEO, Robert Wolterstorff, in October WAG’s “Artistic Fascinations” issue.
– Georgette Gouveia
