News roundup: National Gallery upgrade, Vatican Museums under fire
Plus: parasitic wasps at National Trust
maxwell museums friday briefing - 19 February 2021
London was feeling particularly spring like this week, and unseasonably warm weather is ahead of us this weekend. A small but welcome consolation for the fact that the Capital’s museums have now been closed over 2 months.
A London museum to visit when they eventually reopen is the Brunel Museum. I interviewed their brand new Director in my magazine edition which landed in your inboxes this week. If you missed it, check your junk folders, and catch up here. One thing we discussed were some digital initiatives being planned as a way to build new revenue streams. I’m a big advocate for museums monetising online content so it’s great to see in this ArtNet article that more museums are doing just that.
Let’s dive into this week’s news (and see if you can spot my two cocktail puns).
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The week’s top story
London’s National Gallery has announced a £30 million upgrade, with the first phase to be completed in time for the museum's 200th anniversary in 2024. The main focus will be a makeover of the entrance and facilities of the Sainsbury Wing, which had a turbulent history before its opening in 1991. Gabriele Finaldi, the gallery’s director, says that a huge increase in visitor numbers (the Wing currently welcomes 6 million visitors a year, double the intended capacity) and their changing needs means they need to look again at these spaces. Evening Standard
Why it matters
This is one of the most high-profile capital projects to be announced since coronavirus hit. While day-to-day revenues have collapsed across museums, capital projects can attract private and corporate funding and this will be a significant test to see whether donors are still willing to put their hands in their pockets in a crashing economy. Finaldi admits the Covid-19 pandemic has had “a catastrophic effect on visitor numbers” and wealthy donors may not have much appetite to support a somewhat unglamorous project (“anyone want to sponsor the new bogs?”) that’s intended to accommodate visitor levels that might not be seen for years, if ever again. But, £30 million is not a huge amount in the grand scheme of these things, and the Gallery is already talking about the work being part of “the healing of our country.” That might inspire enough warm and fuzzies for people to get their chequebooks out.
Loco Wars. Who owns the world’s first passenger steam locomotive? Well, the National Railway Museum do, but the Head of Steam Museum where it’s currently on long-term loan are refusing to give it back. The Guardian
Sex Toys on the Beach. A set of Sir Antony Gormley sculptures installed on a beach have been compared to “sex toys” or “giant dog poo” by local residents. BBC News
Phallus on the rocks. Experts have been shocked to discover an ancient Roman relic engraved with a giant penis. It was uncovered during a major road upgrade near Cambridge. Cambridgeshire Live
Director quits. The Head of Indianapolis Museum of Art has resigned after the organisation posted a job advert this week seeking a director who would work not only to attract a more diverse audience but to maintain its “traditional, core, white art audience.” New York Times
Sent to Coventry. Two of the UK’s largest and most important national art collections could be sent up to the city of Coventry in England’s West Midlands, and be housed in a five-floor former IKEA store. The Art Newspaper
Faster, Higher, Blinger. The Eiffel Tower is to receive its 20th paint job in its lifetime. It’ll be transformed into GOLD in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Daily Mirror
In other Games news. The Museum of the Modern Olympics in Ancient Olympia, where the original Games were held, is set to re-open this autumn after 11 years of closure. Inside the Games
“It was hellish.” Social-distancing rules seem to have fallen apart at Vatican Musuems, with images appearing on social media showing packed galleries and disregard for health protocols. But the Museum’s Director hit back, saying “the situation was grossly exaggerated.” ArtNet News
Buzz in the air. The National Trust is to release an army of tiny, parasitic wasps inside the stately home where Anne Boleyn was born, in order to battle a moth infestation. As you do. CNN
Love museums? Then you’ll love my newsletter. I send a round up of museum news every Friday, and every two weeks a jam-packed edition of original features including interviews. Subscribe to get the next edition.