Thanks to the major infusion of funds from the winter Gala, Bennington Museum has begun a significant renovation project in a signature gallery, devoted to the work, life, and legacy of Anna Mary “Robertson” Moses. From January through March the Museum is traditionally closed to the public for a winter break. The Museum is taking that opportunity to update, expand, and fully reinstall the Moses Gallery, with old favorites and new. There will be a premiere celebration on Thursday, March 28 just before the Museum reopens to the public. Scroll to the bottom to purchase tickets.

At the core of the reinstallation will be 5 masterpieces by Moses that have been newly acquired from the Kallir Research Institute. These new works, alongside other highlights from the Museum’s Moses collection constitute the largest public collection of her work in the world, and will capture the full breadth and depth of her work as a painter. To better tell this story, the Moses Gallery will expand into the adjacent hallway gallery, which connects the main Moses Gallery to the Grandma Moses Schoolhouse. Here, the Museum will share objects and images from its extensive Moses archives.

In addition to the gallery expansion and renovations, the Museum will also renovate the connector between the new hallway gallery and the Grandma Moses Schoolhouse. “The corridor will be widened, and one wall will have a full window inserted to bring light into the space and to emphasize the moment of arrival at the active, touchable, family room,” explains executive director, Martin Mahoney. “We will also install an automatic glass door between the Schoolhouse and the Moses Gallery to limit noise infiltration if we have school groups, meetings, or workshops in session while the Museum is open.” He continues, “The Moses Schoolhouse is the next space in the Museum that deserves some special attention, and we are working our way there, one gallery at a time.”

The Moses acquisitions are made possible by a $25,000 gift from Lyman Orton, and a $25,000 grant from the Edwin S. Webster  Foundation served as the seed funding that has enabled the Museum to reinvigorate the space. Mahoney emphasizes his appreciation, saying “We are very grateful for the support of our community that has allowed these transformative projects to move forward.”