Extraordinary halls filled with extraordinary art. Soon, those halls will be filled with even more extraordinary paintings.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Artwill soon be the new permanent home of Marion and Henry Bloch's impressionist and post-impressionist art collection. To make room, the museum is undergoing an $11.7 million renovation.
But before construction began, many items in the Chinese and Southeast Asia collections were removed.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art will soon be the new permanent home of Marion and Henry Bloch’s impressionist and post-impressionist art collection. To make room, the museum is undergoing an $11.7 million renovation.
“Probably the main thing we are worried about is any damage to the artwork,” said Paul Benson, a conservator of objects at the museum.
Benson and others from the museum inspected each painting, artifact and sculpture before the first wall of the renovated gallery was knocked down. The goal was to remove anything that could be damaged from the vibrations of the construction.
“A lot of these are one-of-a-kind pieces. Most of these pieces in this particular gallery came out of tombs so they are very rare and very old,” said Benson. “You can have an insurance value of millions of dollars on something like this but it's irreplaceable.”
According to the museum, 97 pieces have been temporarily removed. These include coins, silver, statues and faces featured in the exhibits located right above the construction.
But more pieces could be removed.
According to the museum, 97 pieces have been temporarily removed. These include coins, silver, statues and faces featured in the exhibits located right above the construction.
The museum is currently monitoring vibrations, created by the construction. Benson said there are four machines that are constantly taking measurements. If a vibration surpasses a set number, museum curators are immediately notified.
“If we were to get a very big vibration, things might actually vibrate right off their pedestals,” said Benson. “We're talking about things that are over 2,000 years old.”
The items that have been removed will be replaced once construction is completed.
The new gallery is expected to open Summer 2017.
TOP FIVE MOST POPULAR PLACES AT NELSON-ATKINS:
- Guanyin, a statue in the Chinese Temple Room
- The painting St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness by Caravaggio, in the European galleries
- Robert Morris’ Labyrinth, which is on the south lawn and attracts many visitors every day
- Meretites, which greets visitors as they enter our Ancient galleries- a favorite spot for students
- Noguchi Court, where many visitors come for quiet reflection
------
Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
