NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ.- The Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers has announced a plan to close to the public starting May 18 through August 31, 2020, to carry out structural renovations to the front entrance and terrace, as well as corresponding internal spaces. Museum programming, including Summer Art Camp, will be relocated to partner locations throughout the summer, with details to be announced in the spring. In addition, PaparazZi Café will be closed during this time. The Zimmerli will welcome back visitors at the start of the new Rutgers semester on September 1, 2020, keeping doors open until 9 p.m. for its popular Art After Hours: First Tuesdays social event.
Zimmerli director Thomas Sokolowski said, “This is a perfect opportunity for the museum to update the front terrace, creating a more welcoming gathering space for all visitors and enhancing the building’s street presence. It also is an important step in transforming the area into an outdoor sculpture gallery. Inside, upgrades to the Morse Research Center offices and study room will allow staff to better accommodate students, faculty, and independent scholars.”
Staff members will continue to work in the building throughout the summer, preparing for upcoming fall exhibitions, including the debut of Angela Davis: Seize the Time. With the location of the renovations around the front entrance, access to the museum will be limited. Staff members will use alternate entry points while continuing to follow established university work schedules. They also will continue to hold meetings and accept deliveries, which will require advance scheduling. Artwork in galleries and storage areas near the renovations will be relocated for their protection to other areas of the building or offsite.
Exhibitions on view through May 17 include: Dialogues—Ilya Kabakov and Viktor Pivovarov: Stories About Ourselves, Home is Where…, Intimate Details: Prints by James Tissot, Everyday Soviet: Soviet Industrial Design and Nonconformist Art (1959-1989), Polymorphic Sculpture: Leo Amino's Experiments in Three Dimensions, and Three American Painters: David Diao, Sam Gilliam, Sal Sirugo.
The project will be managed by Rutgers University Institutional Planning and Operations Project Services, which completed engineering surveys in 2019. Construction is taking place during the summer months, following graduation on May 17, when fewer people are on campus, causing less interference to vehicular and pedestrian traffic surrounding the building.
