ST. LOUIS, MO.- The Saint Louis Art Museum will reopen June 16 with new safety and well-being protocols for visitors and staff. The measures incorporate guidelines issued by public-health agencies and the museum’s reopening plan was approved by the City of St. Louis Department of Health. Days and hours of operation remain unchanged.

“For more than 140 years, the museum has been an essential part of the civic life of St. Louis, and it will remain a source of inspiration, education and delight during difficult times,” said Brent R. Benjamin, the Barbara B. Taylor Director of the Saint Louis Art Museum. “Now more than ever, we are guided by the message carved in our historic building’s south façade: ‘Art still has truth, take refuge there!’”

Millet exhibition extended
“Millet and Modern Art: From Van Gogh to Dalí,” the groundbreaking exhibition that opened just four weeks before the museum closed on March 16, will be extended through Labor Day (Sept. 7). The exhibition originally was scheduled to close on May 17.

Conceived 10 years ago by Simon Kelly, the museum’s curator of modern and contemporary art, and organized in conjunction with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the exhibition seeks to expand the narrative of the beginnings of modern art. By rediscovering the radicalism of French artist Jean-François Millet (1814–1875), the exhibition explores his influence on a range of artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Winslow Homer, Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Georges Seurat, Salvador Dalí and others.

Benjamin said he was deeply appreciative of the more than 50 museums and private collectors in 14 countries that agreed to extend loans of art on view in “Millet and Modern Art.”

“Thanks to this, we are able to share with the people of St. Louis unparalleled loans of master works that would properly be classified as national treasures,” Benjamin said.

The new protocols include limiting admission to the exhibition to 15 visitors per 15 minutes; visitors are strongly encouraged to secure tickets in advance through MetroTix starting June 9.

New protocols for visitors
Some safety protocols will be apparent to visitors while other, behind-the-scenes measures—like daily temperature checks for staff—won't be noticeable to the public.

Museum visitors will enter only through the East Building—either through the garage or the Taylor Hall doors on Fine Arts Drive—and capacity in both the exhibition and the permanent collection galleries will be limited. Visitors will be required to wear masks and expected to practice social distancing. The museum encourages visitors to not bring any large bags with them during their visit to minimize personal contact at the coat checks. Both Panorama restaurant and the museum cafe will reopen at a later date.

Art Hill Film Series and other programs
Tours, gallery talks, lectures and other in-person programming will be suspended through at least Sept. 7. However, the museum will continue to develop new and engaging digital resources and programs so the public can experience the museum’s collection virtually.

Although the Art Hill Film Series is canceled as an in-person event, the museum is working to develop a virtual version of the popular, annual festival. More details about the online film series will be announced in the coming weeks.

Visitors are urged to consult detailed safety protocols at slam.org before they visit.