Construction of the much- anticipated $50 million expansion project of the Phoenix Art Museum is complete.
The expansion increased the size of the building by 30,000 square feet and redesigned over 47,000 square feet of the museum's exterior space. Construction began in January 2005 according to phxart.com.
The Go! Weekend Grand Opening Celebration Nov. 11 and 12 attracted thousands of interested viewers.
The celebration's admission was free and provided entertainment, including music and dance performances, activities and tours.
The attendees explored the spaces of the new museum including a four-level gallery wing, the Dorrance sculpture garden, the entry plaza and main lobby and the expansion of the museum store.
The four-level gallery wing houses the growing collection of modern, contemporary and Latin American art and provides more space for the fashion design collection, according to phxart.com.
Also, the addition will provide space for visiting exhibitions.
"The large exhibition of the Dutch art show featuring Rembrandt will be displayed in the new space on Jan. 28," said Cathy Arnold, public relations officer.
The exhibition will be the first major international exhibition in Phoenix Art Museum's new gallery wing following the grand opening weekend.
The sculpture garden, funded by the $2 million donation from the the Dorrance Family Foundation, is an environmental gallery space for sculpture work. The expanded museum store has more than doubled in size to accommodate an expanding selection of merchandise related to the exhibitions and collection.
There are several ongoing exhibitions that started the weekend of the grand opening celebration. These exhibitions include "After Dark: 100 Years of the Evening Dress," "George Thiewes: Expanding the Sculptural Field," "Demonic Divine in Himalayan Art" and many others.
The museum hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. It is closed Mondays and major holidays. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for full-time students with identification and free to all on Tuesday evenings from 3 to 9 p.m.
Reach the reporter at: brittnee.penson@asu.edu.
