Peggy Fogelman, the Norma Jean Calderwood Director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, spoke with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday about the museum's reopening next Wednesday.
"Our priority is that our visitors feel safe and comfortable, as well as inspired and uplifted through their experience with art," Fogelman said. "So we will have somewhat limited capacity, people will plan their visit through time ticketing so that we can maintain social distancing, everyone will be required to wear face coverings and we have new cleaning protocols."
The new museum experience will still be able to provide visitors with the intimacy to art that they search for, Fogelman said.
"For people who see and encounter art as a means of solace and allievating anxiety, that will certainly be there for them," she said. "At the same time, there are many issues in our society in terms of structural racism and tragic losses that our community has experienced both through COVID and through violence, and we're very pleased that we've been able to extend our Boston Apollo exhibition through Oct. 12, which explores the life of Thomas McKeller."
