The M.V. Museum is set to reopen all museum buildings at the beginning of next month, according to an email sent to museum members. The general public will be invited back starting August 7, while members get a headstart on August 4.
The museum has offered an outdoor-only experience since its initial reopening at the end of June. Exhibits such as the Rose Styron Garden and the solar-powered “Sun-Bird” are on display at the museum’s campus. Even the catboat Vanity, which traditionally sails the harbor, is currently docked for up-close admiration.
According to the email, these beloved exhibits will stay put as the buildings reopen. Only the “inside-out exhibits,” which display artwork against the museum’s windows, will be removed. Those wishing to see the two featured collections, “Everyday Heroes,” by Randi Baird, and “Pandemic,” by Jackie Baer, are encouraged to stop by before the building’s reopening.
In addition to the current outdoor installations, the museum will offer new exhibits and experiences within the building walls. Two former installations, “Neighbors in the Deep: The North Atlantic Right Whale” and “Women’s Works,” will return to the community gallery after closing alongside the museum in March. The museum will also add an entirely new installation, titled “Recollection: A Personal Museum — An Installation by Lucy Mitchell.”
As the museum takes this step, safety is the utmost priority, according to the email. The email outlines a number of protocols for maintaining this, such as enforcing a 40 percent capacity and stationing hand sanitizer around the buildings. Indicators along the museum floor will outline a walking path, in order to aid social distancing between visitors. A mask is required of all individuals, indoors or out, and anyone who enters the museum must reserve their admission before arriving.
As additional safety precautions, the museum’s Hands-On History exhibit will remain closed, as will the First Light Cafe.
For updates regarding the M.V. Museum’s reopening, visit the website at mvmuseum.org.
