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| Tate Modern // Photo by Freeimages.com/Mátyás Huszár |
From the newly expanded San Francisco MOMA scheduled to debut later this month, to a new contemporary art collection set to be established in Paris, enthusiasts have plenty to look forward to when planning their next trip to the museum.
Expanded San Francisco MOMA to Open Later This Month
As recently reported by Mary Winston Nicklin, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) has announced it will officially reopen to the public on May 14 after completing a major expansion project.
SFMOMA first debuted in 1935 as the first West Coast museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. For the expansion project, architecture firm Snøhetta added a new, 10-story structure to the original Mario Botta-designed building, which triples the previous gallery space. Additionally, the design of the museum’s expanded eastern façade has concepts inspired by the waters and fog of the San Francisco Bay, with rippling FRP (fiberglass reinforced polymer) panels.
To celebrate the reopening, SFMOMA will host 19 special exhibitions, including a selection of 260 postwar and contemporary works by Doris and Donald Fisher Collection. Pieces by Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Alexander Calder, will be part of the selection, among others.
Several other opening celebrations are also in the works for SFMOMA’s reopening. Visit the SFMOMA website for complete details. The new museum offers free access to the ground-floor galleries and free admission for visitors age 18 and younger.
Latest London Exhibits
Emily Goldfischer recently compiled a list of some of the latest and upcoming museum exhibits taking place across London.
Vogue 100: A Century of Style is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery through May 22. The exhibit includes photography that has been commissioned by British Vogue since it was founded in 1916. Over 280 prints from the Condé Nast archive and international collections will be shown together for the first time.
Also throught May 22, Delacroix and the Rise of Modern Art is being shown at the National Gallery. The display is a compilation of pieces by the French romantic painter Eugène Delacroix, and explores his life’s work which spans five decades.
Saatchi Gallery is currently hosting the first international exposition on the Rolling Stones titled EXHIBITIONISM. Through September 4, the exhibit combines over 500 original Stones' artifacts and both cinematic and interactive technologies to explore the band's fifty year history.
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| Natural History Museum in London // Photo by Freeimages.com/Jenny Rollo |
Top London Museums for Families This Summer
Emily Goldfischer also recently wrote a guide on how to take children to some of the top museums in London, and offered tips to make sure both parents and kids get the most out of their experience.
When taking a trip to the Tate Modern, Goldfischer says travelers should be prepared for crowds as the location tops VisitEngland’s list of the most visited places in the UK. In order to avoid becoming overwhelmed, she suggests utilizing the museum’s family programs, which range from free maps and backpacks, to apps, multi-media seminars, and “Night at the Museum” style sleepovers. Tate Modern also offers a range of ticketed shows ideal for visitors with older children, while the permanent art collection is colorful and set in open galleries, which Goldfischer says is ideal for strollers.
Note: Tate Modern is scheduled to complete a £260 million addition and renovation, which will open on June 17. The new building at the museum will have 60 percent more display space with works by more than 250 artists from nearly 50 countries.
The British Museum has 8 million items on view, and offers child-friendly gallery maps and age appropriate backpacks filled with activities that take about 90 minutes. Goldfischer says her favorite activity here is the “British Museum Broadcast”, where kids are invited to explore a part of the museum and create a news cast. The activity is complete with a mock studio and green screen, professional video cameras, microphones and a teacher who was a former BBC TV producer.
Visitors to South Kensington can visit the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum), as all are located within a few blocks of each other. However, Goldfischer says if there is not enough time to visit all three, opt for a trip to the Science Museum first. Current exhibits include Cosmonauts, Leonardo da Vinci, and Churchill and Science. There are also showings of IMAX films, a flight simulator, gallery tours and shows ongoing that are free.
Visitors to the Natural History Museum should first check out the Dinosaur area, where there is also a sleepover activity for kids ages 7-11 called Dino-snores. Older children can view the current exhibitions on the solar system, wildlife, and butterflies.
Also, The V & A offers a range of antiquities, paintings, and objects and activities that Goldfischer says make it a good stop for families. Here, most visitors drop-in, so there is no need to book.
Other museums Emily Goldfischer suggests families should check out include Serpentine Gallery, situated in the middle of Hyde Park, Somerset House, offering free and ticketed events for families, and the National Portrait Gallery, which has a collection of over 1,000 portraits.
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| Photo by Freeimages.com/Alicia Guillen |
François Pinault To Open Contemporary Museum in 2018
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo and billionaire business magnate François Pinault have announced that his contemporary art collection will soon occupy the Bourse de Commerce, as reported by Mary Winston Nicklin.
The historic building is an 18th century landmark that faces Les Halles, and will be renovated by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. Upon completion the new museum will be named The Penault Collection. The museums location will be particularly notable, as Les Halles is currently in the process of a 1 billion euro transformation.
Pinault is the founder of the luxury goods brand Kering, and is an avid art collector. He previously opened the Palazzo Grassi in Venice when he was frustrated by the delays at a planned Paris site.
The Pinault Collection is expected to open in 2018.