The 113-year-old Muskegon Museum of Art is doubling its size with the $15.4 million Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion.
It adds galleries, two education studios, viewable collections storage, a new gift store, an outdoor sculpture park and staff-support spaces.
The museum’s permanent collection currently houses over 5,500 pieces of art, acquiring over 600 new pieces in recent years. Due to limited gallery space, only about 3-percent of the collection can be displayed at a time. This expansion allows the museum to showcase more of the permanent collection, while new galleries will focus on rotating exhibitions.
Museum Board Chair Frank Bednarek says the Bennett-Schmidt pavilion expansion will make the museum a national destination while significantly contributing culturally and economically to the success of the Muskegon area.
The pavilion is named in honor of art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt and was designed by Boston-based Annum Architects, in collaboration with Mathison Architects of Grand Rapids.
The public is invited to an opening reception at the museum on Thursday, February 6th from 5-7 PM. A family day celebration featuring kid-friendly activities will also be held on Saturday, February 8th from 11 AM-5 PM.
