The Baltimore Museum of Art has closed its galleries for the rest of this week and pushed back the public exhibition of a new portrait of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases.
BMA leaders announced Monday that the museum’s galleries will be closed through Tuesday, Dec. 28, and will reopen fully on Wednesday, Dec. 29. The museum’s gift shop and Gertrude’s Chesapeake Kitchen restaurant will be open on Dec. 22, 23 and 26.
“We pride ourselves on offering visitors excellent artistic experiences in a safe environment for everyone,” says a message on the museum’s website. “Given the current surge in positive COVID cases, we need a moment to step back and ensure our staff is ready to serve Museum visitors. We think cautiously is the best way to move forward right now. We are looking forward to welcoming our guests back on Dec. 29.”
Visitors who have a timed-entry reservation are encouraged to schedule another time through the museum’s website at artbma.org. Visitors who purchased tickets for “A Modern Influence: Henri Matisse, Etta Cone, and Baltimore” will be issued a refund automatically, and tickets may be repurchased for Dec. 29 or later. The final day of “A Modern Influence” is Jan. 2.
Artist Jerrell Gibbs’ portrait of the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, previously scheduled to go on view on Dec. 22, will be displayed at the museum from Dec. 29 through Jan. 9. A private event to unveil the portrait, scheduled for Tuesday, has been cancelled. After Jan. 9 the portrait will move to the U. S. Capitol, where it will be installed permanently.
Additional COVID-19 updates can be found on the museum’s website.
