In this season of gratitude, I am thankful for many things. Faith, family, and health are certainly at the top of my list, but each day I also give thanks for the beauty that surrounds me. I am fortunate to live in a place of extraordinary natural beauty. And I am incredibly fortunate to spend each day at the Gibbes Museum of Art.
As you may know, the Gibbes reopened to the public in May 2016 following an extensive renovation. In the moments before we welcomed guests to our Grand Reopening Gala, I took the time to walk through the museum, top to bottom. I had to pinch myself. Our staff had spent years planning the renovation, but I couldn’t quite believe we had pulled it off. The galleries were stunning. This beautiful space was the “new” Gibbes.
Six months later, as we continue to settle into the building, I remain in awe of our space. But it is not just the building; it is what the building allows us to do. It has transformed the way we operate. On any given day, I can walk into the Gibbes and see visitors enjoying lunch in the café, artist Alex Pate working in Studio 2, classrooms full of students creating art inspired by Mary Jackson’s baskets, a board member taking in our new Hudson River School exhibition on the second floor, and a group of 3rd graders discussing Picasso’s Accordionist in the Guggenheim exhibition on the third floor. These busy days bring a smile to my face. And they remind me that our years of dreaming, planning, and renovating have been worth it. Art can change lives, and I get to witness it on a daily basis. This is a gift I do not take for granted.
Happy holidays from all of us at the Gibbes.
—Pam Wall, curator of exhibitions, Gibbes Museum of Art
Published December 21, 2016