Renovations 2000

In January - the month during which the Demuth Foundation is always closed to the public - the millennium will begin with some substantial renovations. Through these efforts, the Demuth Foundation will be better equipped to house the art of Charles Demuth and his contemporaries, and to borrow materials from other institutions and private collectors for exhibition. The renovations will be made possible through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Of primary interest will be a full refurbishing of the lighting system, not only in the main gallery on the second floor where exhibitions are regularly scheduled, but in Charles Demuth’s studio and downstairs in the museum shop. Also, removable shutter panels will be installed in the gallery and studio to block out all natural light. They will then be used or stored, depending on the nature of differing exhibitions. Even weakened by the ultra-violet ray filter glass currently in place in the building, the sun’s rays permanently damage works on paper. Installing these removable blinds will therefore permit the Foundation to display fragile art over longer periods of time, including most of the pieces in the permanent collection, since Demuth worked primarily on paper. In the space between the gallery and the studio - formerly Charles Demuth’s bathroom - panels will be installed to offer new exhibition space. Also, a new partition in the gallery will offer a welcome replacement to the current, shaky panel now in service. A sorely-needed re-painting of all of the rooms in the building is scheduled, as well as an refinishing of the wide board flooring on the first floor. Installed at the time the Foundation began, circa 1982, the old planks were discovered in the attic of the Demuth house. By the time for the annual exhibition of the Demuth Foundation’s permanent collection, this tummy-tuck and face-lift to the building should be complete.