SEATTLE — The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) announced on Oct. 1 that the Seattle Asian Art Museum will reopen to the public on Feb. 8, 2020, following a 24-month-long renovation and expansion.
The museum’s 1933 building closed to the public in February 2017 for the $56 million project that has modernized and preserved the historic building, expanded exhibition and education space, and established a better connection to the surrounding Volunteer Park.
Highlights include a new glass-enclosed park lobby on the east side of the building, new gallery, education studio, conservation center, and community meeting room, and cleaning of the façade’s Art Deco metalwork and reglazing of the glass.
The project was funded by a mixture of public and private funds.
“This is a pivotal moment for SAM and for the city of Seattle,” says Amada Cruz, the newly appointed Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO of SAM. “With the completion of this project, we unveil new spaces to connect the museum’s extraordinary collection of Asian art to our lives and experiences.”
A free community celebration will welcome visitors to the museum on Feb. 8 and 9, 2020. Free tickets will be available to reserve in early December.
One of only a few art museums in North America dedicated exclusively to Asian art, the Asian Art Museum maintains an important collection of art from China, Korea, Japan, India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia.