Images courtesy of the Bruce Museum
One of the region’s foremost cultural institutions, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, is amidst a major reimagining, the first fruits of which are just beginning to fall to the expectant crowds of area art lovers. Having begun in 2018, the massive initiative will not be finished until late 2022 and is aimed at expanding the museum’s footprint from less than 30,000 square feet to more than 70,000. In addition, the museum will receive exhibition galleries for arts and sciences, an expanded lecture hall, new education spaces, and even an on-site eatery.
In February, the museum’s newly expanded and reconfigured main art gallery reopened with an exhibition by Danish art star Lawrence Ring that will run through May 24. This gallery will then make way for a total museum renovation, occurring sometime in 2021, with permanent science galleries slated to open in April 2021. The centerpiece of the overhaul will be a 43,000 sq. ft., three-story addition boasting a sleek façade of cast stone and glass, which will provide more space for exhibitions relating to art and science and enhance community involvement with the Bruce. The museum is currently aiming for a June 2022 completion date.
Several recent fundraising efforts have already pushed the museum incredibly close to the $45 million required to finalize construction in the years ahead, most notably a $15 million gift from Greenwich local William L. Richter and a $5 million donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation. “The New Bruce Campaign’s fundraising success, including a $1 million match completed in early 2020, has brought the effort to 85 percent of our construction goal – and that much closer to breaking ground on the art-wing addition in July,” says Bruce Museum director of marketing and communications Scott Smith.
