The appeal of great works of art is timeless, but the great museums that house them must constantly keep up with the times. Museum directors know they can't let a leaky roof or a malfunctioning climate-control system spoil the pleasure visitors expect. Even the décor of the settings in which art is enjoyed — the colors on the walls, the shape of the galleries, the style of the picture frames — has to be updated periodically to keep pace with changing fashion and tastes.
So news that the Baltimore Museum of Art, one of the stars in the city's cultural firmament, is embarking on an ambitious, $24 million expansion and renovation shows that museum director Doreen Bolger remains committed to the mission she announced upon her arrival in 1998: expanding the museum's audience, making its offerings more accessible to visitors and, above all, maintaining its reputation as a world-class venue for exhibitions and scholarly research.
The planned changes, which begin next year and extend through 2014, when the museum celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding, will be the third major renovation and expansion Ms. Bolger has overseen as director.
In 2001, she reorganized the galleries housing the collection of Modernist masters donated by Baltimore's famed Cone sisters, Claribel and Etta, who purchased the works directly from artists such as Picasso and Matisse during the first half of the 20th century. That makeover saw the introduction of smaller, more intimate viewing spaces and walls painted in muted blues, greens and mauves rather than the stark institutional white of earlier installations.
In 2003, a second makeover transformed the museum's Jacobs Wing, which houses a priceless collection of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art from the 13th through 17th centuries. The galleries' white walls were again repainted in warmer, more inviting hues, and the oak floors were restored to their original dark finish, though the basic shape of the rooms stayed the same.
When the next round of renovations begin in 2011, changes will include a reinstallation of the American, African and contemporary art collections, as well as the creation of two new galleries, one devoted to the glass art of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the other to Maryland artists. There will also be a new "black box" space in the building's west wing to display new media such as film, video and computer art.
Having weathered a recession that saw its endowment income plummet and freezes on hiring and new programs, the BMA knows that times are still tough and that the arts have to compete with other pressing issues for public support. But it's already raised more than half the funds for the project, including a $10 million commitment from the state of Maryland, to be spread out over four years, and a $1.25 million bond issue from Baltimore City.
City voters will be asked to approve another $1.2 million loan for the renovations on November's ballot. Is it worth it? Certainly, if you believe the arts should play an important role in the life of a great city and its people. The BMA and the magnificent artworks it houses are a historic part of our civic heritage, and one we should willingly seek to preserve for the edification and enjoyment of future generations.