Following Extensive Renovations, the Martha’s Vineyard Museum Will Show Off Its New Campus with a Grand Opening Gala and Free Event for the Public
by Diane Alter
The Martha’s Vineyard Museum will celebrate its grand opening at its new Vineyard Haven campus on Saturday, June 29. The museum’s new home is at the site of the 1895 Marine Hospital, which underwent a historic renovation. Two additional new buildings make up the museum’s new headquarters.
Along with the museum board and staff, some 550 guests will attend the Grand Opening Gala, dubbed An Evening of Discovery.
Event tickets quickly sold out, and while few details have been shared about the upcoming event on June 29, guests are guaranteed a few surprises as all join to help celebrate this momentous event.
On Sunday, June 30, a Grand Opening Festival, open to the public, will take place on the new campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Children can take part in activities and games based on the themes in the museum’s “One Island, Many Stories” exhibit on the front lawn. Adults can bid on auction items and raffles in the courtyard. Scavenger hunts for all ages will take place throughout the museum galleries. The blockbuster exhibit Benton’s Martha’s Vineyard will also be open.
Music of the Pinkletinks will fill the newly built Doherty Hall behind the museum. Food trucks will be on hand to provide lunch.
The newly modernized museum’s first major exhibition on Thomas Hart Benton on Martha’s Vineyard, will explore the vital role the island played in the career of this much-admired and significant American artist.
The Vineyard was a place of relaxation and rejuvenation for Benton and his family, and also helped shape his characteristic style. Benton found inspiration in the Chilmark landscape as well as the people who lived here.
The exhibition will be on display from June 29 through August 11, and will feature works from the museum’s collection, as well as artwork and personal effects on loan from individuals and other institutions including The New Britain Art Museum and the Thomas Hart Benton Home and Studio Historic Site.
The museum’s new campus is located at 151 Lagoon Pond Road and includes fourteen exhibition spaces, a classroom, program room, research library, gift shop, and café. In addition to the renovation of the historic Marine Hospital, a glass pavilion featuring the 1854 Fresnel Lens from the Gay Head Light was constructed along with a large hall behind the building featuring many of the Museum’s large objects as part of the ongoing $32 million capital campaign.
The museum is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday with extended, free evening hours on Tuesday nights. The café managed by Buckley’s Gourmet Catering is also be open yearround and provides outdoor seating with sweeping views of the lagoon and harbor. A separate entrance allows guests to enjoy café without paying museum admission.
A full calendar of programs and special events as well as information on becoming a member is available online at www.mvmuseum.org.
Parking for both the Grand Opening Gala and Grand Opening Festival will be offered at the High School with free shuttle service to and from the museum. No neighborhood parking is permitted. For handicapped parking, please call 508-627-4441 x127. Both events will take place rain or shine.
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151 Lagoon Pond Road
Vineyard Haven
(508) 627-4441
