National Portrait Gallery will now be closed for the next three years
the Gallery reveals it won't reopen for one last hurrah before its major redevelopment begins
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the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) in London has confirmed the news that has been all-but-inevitable for weeks now: it won’t reopen again before planned closure for major redevelopment. it was hoped that it could open for a post-lockdown final hurrah but with no real signs of museums reopening anytime soon, the Gallery made clear today it would close as planned from the 29 June 2020 until spring 2023 while essential building works take place. that’s 3 whole years without the NPG.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director of the NPG said: “We had very much hoped we would be able to re-open the Gallery to visitors before our refurbishment commenced, but sadly it is now clear that this won’t be possible.”
rather unexpectedly, the Gallery also revealed that it would restage the critically acclaimed David Hockney: Drawing from Life when it re-opens. the show had barely been open three weeks of a four-month run when the shutters came down due to COVID19. there was no word on whether the second go would be as soon as the NPG reopens, or sometime after. a question is: will they really want to usher in a brand new shiny era with an exhibition they’ve already opened once before, and which probably had the bulk of its planning the best part of half-a-decade before. a lot can change in 3 years…
but, their other exhibition, Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things, which had opened for only a few days, will tour in the UK with dates to be confirmed.
artist’s impression of the new facade of the NPG
the Gallery’s 3-year revamp is called Inspiring People and is the biggest ever development since the building in St Martin’s Place opened in 1896. the project will include a comprehensive re-hang of the collection, from the Tudors to the present day, across 40 refurbished galleries. there’ll also be a new and more welcoming visitor entrance and public forecourt on the building’s North façade.
it’s been a busy week for the NPG. the Duchess of Cambridge released a video message urging people to document their lockdown experiences for a project she is running with the Gallery, of which she is a Patron. Her Royal Highness revealed her Hold Still initiative had already had 12,000 entries and she asked people to send in more. over 100 will be selected to form an online exhibition for the Gallery.
maxwell museums brings you all the latest news from the world of museums. subscribe to get my weekly newsletter to keep you up-to-date