While the addition of new gallery space is always exciting for museum staff and visitors alike, one of the clearest signs that a regional art center has truly matured is when it runs out of space to store its permanent collection. That has been the case for some time at the Academy Art Museum after nearly seven decades of acquiring and carefully preserving rare works of art through donation and purchase.
And while a new storage and research facility may not have the obvious appeal of a gallery wing, the opening of a building devoted almost entirely to protecting these works marks an important milestone for the museum.
To better understand why the Museum’s soon-to-be-opened Henny and James Freeman Annex & Hormel Research Center matters, the Spy sat down with Bianca Scialabba, the Academy’s collections Manager & registrar. In our chat, she explains the detailed inventory, storage, and conservation work required to care for art and historical objects held in the public trust, and how the Talbot Lane facility will expand space for storage, research, photography, and the preparation of works for exhibition.
We also asked Bianca to share some of her favorite discoveries from the collection, including small, whimsical prints that rarely make it into public view, offering a glimpse into the hidden side of the museum that most visitors never see.
This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about the Academy Art Museum, please go here.