Art aficionados have no shortage of museums and galleries to explore all throughout France. Here are just a few recent and upcoming openings and reopenings, courtesy of the French Tourism Office.
Toulouse-Lautrec Museum (Renovation)
Toulouse (Midi-Pyrénées)
www.museetoulouselautrec.net
The Musée Toulouse-Lautrec has the world’s largest public collection of the celebrated artist’s works, housed within the 13th-17th century Palais de la Berbie, the Episcopal palace of the Saint-Cécile Cathedral. The museum reopened earlier this month.
Palais de Tokyo (Renovation)
Paris
www.palaisdetokyo.com
Paris' unique contemporary art museum, the Palais de Tokyo, closed in January and reopened this month with some new expansions and renovations. A new exhibit, La Triennale will showcase French and international contemporary art. See more information here.
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy (Reopening)
Nancy (Lorraine)
Reopening: June 2012
www1.nancy.fr
The fine arts museum of Nancy has been closed for renovation since September 20, 2011 and will reopen in June. The changes will include improved accessibility, reduced energy use, and a brand new gallery space. The gallery, dedicated to local designer Jean Prouvé, will showcase his architectural creations and designs.
Louvre's New Islamic Arts Wing
Paris
Opening: September 2012
www.louvre.fr
This fall, the Paris Louvre will unveil its new wing devoted to the Arts of Islam, one of the largest and most cohesive collections of Islamic art in the world.
Louvre-Lens
Lens (Nord-Pas-de-Calais)
Opening: December 4, 2012
www.louvrelens.fr
The Louvre will open a new regional branch in the northern city of Lens this December, which is currently being constructed on a 50-acre site that was once a mine yard. The new museum will not have a permanent collection but rotate works from the Paris Louvre’s collection, displaying art from each period and style. When it opens, 300 masterpieces from the Paris museum will be displayed.