Staff report
Huntington — The Huntington Museum of Art will unveil the new Isabelle Gwynn and Robert Daine Gallery during a special Grand Opening and Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
The first exhibit in the new gallery, titled “A Lasting Impression: Works on Paper from the Permanent Collection,” will run through May 2 and will include works by such renown artists as Salvador Dali and Winslow Homer.
The schedule for Saturday’s event includes champagne and music at 4 p.m.; remarks at 4:30 p.m. and a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception at 4:45 p.m.
The gallery addition was the brainchild of philanthropist Isabelle Gwynn Daine, and its funding comes from a bequest in her will specifically directing HMA to use the funds for such purpose.
The new gallery will allow the museum to display on a rotating basis the 1,600 prints, watercolors and photographs that it has in its permanent collection providing the public with five to six new exhibits each year.
“With this new gallery, HMA will be able to meet its strategic directive to create more exhibits from its permanent collection to share with the community,” Jenine Culligan, senior curator at HMA, said.
At a cost of approximately $1.2 million, the project created 50 construction jobs for the Tri-State region. Designed by the firm of Edward Tucker Architects, the gallery adds 1,800 square feet of gallery space and 1,700 square feet of additional storage space in the vault.
An internal HMA planning team and the museum’s facility committee planned and bidded the project to make sure that it meets the needs of the public as well as the lighting, humidity and temperature control requirements of fragile works of art on paper such as prints, watercolors and photographs.
The rectangular gallery will also contain an anteroom with a seating area, which will be graced by a portrait of Mrs. Daine, and a view into a newly developed courtyard behind the museum. The low bidder, The Neighborgall Construction Co., was selected as the general contractor by the HMA Board of Trustees.
For more information about HMA exhibits and projects, visit hmoa.org or call (304) 529-2701.
