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Dear Friends of the Gardner Museum –
Today, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum canceled its evening hours from 5-9 pm due to a planned protest by climate activists that would put our community and collections at risk. This is our second closure in response to such an event by this activist group.
The group sought to insert their own artworks into the empty frames in the Dutch Room as one element of their protest. These frames are not only important and fragile historic objects in their own right, but they memorialize the tragic 1990 theft that deprived our public of the opportunity to enjoy unique masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer and others. It is heartbreaking to associate the painful reminder of this loss with any scenario that would jeopardize the frames themselves or the experience of our staff and visitors.
Our founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner, made horticulture a central part of the museum experience, and she valued conversation and the free exchange of ideas. While we may support constructive efforts to address and elucidate the climate crisis–as do many of the artists featured in our current exhibition, Presence of Plants in Contemporary Art–public discourse entails respectful dialogue in which participants engage by choice. We cannot condone tactics that impose risk and confrontation on audiences and objects.
Individual ticket holders for today’s evening hours have been notified and given the opportunity to request a free voucher to visit the Museum on a date of their choosing. If we were unable to reach you, our Visitor Services department looks forward to assisting with any needs or concerns. For more information, please contact the Box Office at 617 278 5156 or boxoffice@isgm.org, or visit our website at gardnermuseum.org
The Museum will resume regular hours tomorrow, and we hope to welcome you soon.
Sincerely,
Peggy Fogelman
Norma Jean Calderwood Director
Header image by Ally Schmaling |
