Gibbes Museum of Art Closes for Renovations

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Gibbes Museum renovation
Gibbes Museum renovation rendering

In August, the Gibbes Museum temporarily closed for major renovations set to begin in October 2014. To date, the museum has raised more than $9 million toward its $13.4 million goal to restore the museum to its original Beaux-Arts beauty and build its endowment. The project is designed to showcase the museum’s collection, provide visitors with a history of American art from the early colonial era to the present, and engage the public with educational programs, classes, and events.

The museum’s collecting mission is to develop a significant fine and decorative arts collection from the 18th century through the present that provides an in-depth understanding of American art and patronage from a Charleston perspective.

The renovation will transform the first floor of the museum into a creative community center. Studios and classrooms will offer opportunities to observe artists and students at work. The rear reception area and lecture facility will open into the Gibbes garden, which is part of Charleston’s historic Gateway Walk and maintained by the Charleston Parks Conservancy. A beautifully refurbished museum store and a new café will greet visitors as they come through the main entrance.

Grand exhibition halls on the second and third floors will showcase the American collections as well as special exhibitions. State-of-the-art art storage facilities will feature a closely connected research room to provide ample space for scholars to more easily access and study works from the collection. Observation windows will offer visitors a behind-the-scenes view of the work of curators, preparators, and conservators.

The newly expanded and renovated galleries will provide a 30% increase in gallery space to showcase more than 600 works of art from the permanent collection (a 125% increase in works on view). The Grand Gallery will showcase early American art of the 18th and early 19th centuries. In the newly expanded South Galleries, innovative display cases and open storage cabinetry will allow for up-close interaction with more than 300 portrait miniatures by some of America’s most significant miniature painters as well as a number of French émigré and British artists painting American sitters. The newly expanded North Galleries will feature several works that demonstrate the national shift in American art from academic painting to impressionism. The Garden Gallery will feature works by late 20th-century and early 21st-century artists native to the south or working in this region. The central rotunda gallery will serve as a sculpture hall. The original Beaux Arts oak-varnished woodwork and patterned tile floor will be restored. The Tiffany-style art glass dome will be cleaned and stabilized by conservators.

The renovations are part of the city of Charleston’s larger commitment to the arts and historic preservation. It is the latest in a series of renovation efforts that began in 2006 with City Hall, continued with Memminger Auditorium and the Dock Street Theatre and the Gaillard Municipal Auditorium that will open in spring 2015.

During the renovation the museum will continue to engage the community in the arts with a variety of programs, special events, and educational offerings. The Insider Art Series will debut in the fall with a special exhibition of art work by Jonathan Green and Alice Ravenel Hugher Smith. On Nov. 19, the Gibbes will present its annual Distinguished Lecture featuring New York-based and internationally acclaimed architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien whose design of the Barnes Foundation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is critically acclaimed.

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Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

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