Frequent visitors to the Hood Museum of Art know that Dartmouth's mecca of visual artifacts was closed during the summer so that various renovation and maintenance projects could be completed. Fortunately, the Hood reopened its doors on September 16 after numerous projects most unnoticeable to patrons were finished.
Projects included re-carpeting the museum, installing ultraviolet window panes, upgrading computer connections and repairing a water-damaged ceiling.
The Hood Museum turns 12 years old this month. In more than a decade of existence, general maintenance and upkeep had to be carried out in order to keep the Museum in good working order.
Director of the Hood Museum Timothy Rub said that the summer months were the best time to perform renovations.
"It was important to choose a time that was low in terms of use by College faculty and students," said Rub.
Although many summer tourists and college shoppers pass through Hanover between June and August, the Hood wanted to ensure that the gallery space and general collection were available to the students, who are predominantly on campus during fall, winter and spring terms.
Before the renovations could be executed, all the artwork had to be placed in storage.
Museum registrar Kellen Haak and curator of exhibitions Evelyn Marcus navigated the logistics of moving every painting, sculpture, drawing and display booth out of the museum.
While the staff had estimated that the move would take two weeks to complete, the move was finished in a mere two and a half days.
Only two works of art were not removed during the renovations. Six massive Assyrian reliefs carved from gypsum were left mounted.
A 1990 conceptual piece by Sol LeWitt which was painted directly on a wall could not be moved. Layers of polyethylene were draped over the works to protect them from dust and debris.
After the Museum was vacated, its carpet was ripped up and replaced. Dust embedded in the carpet, as well as the fumes in the adhesive used to cement the new carpet in place, could have been damaging to the art if it had not been removed.
The summer months allowed the Museum to air out before the art returned to its home.
New panes of glass were installed in windows that filter sunlight into gallery space. The new windows are fitted with ultraviolet screens so that the art will not be damaged by the harmful rays. With the new windows in place, the curatorial staff will have more gallery space at their disposal.
"All light causes deterioration in some way of organic materials," said Haak. "We're interested in trying to preserve these things forever and ever and ever in the condition they are in today."
Water damage to the ceiling of the Lathrop Gallery on the second floor of the Museum was also repaired.
In addition to these maintenance and conservation measures, the Museum was wired with upgraded ethernet computer connections so that the Hood will be up to par with the rest of the campus computing network.
All work was funded by Dartmouth College without any assistance from gifts or grants. The expenses in total are estimated to be about $127,000.
While these numerous projects kept the doors of the Hood closed for three months, the curatorial staff was busily working to prepare for a new exhibition opening on October 4 in Jaffe Hall.
"Intimate Encounters: Love and Domesticity in Eighteenth-Century France" will debut at Dartmouth and travel to other museums around the country.
During the summer gallery space for the exhibition was painted, wainscoting and molding installed, and gallery furniture constructed to accompany the exhibited works.
Art lovers and students alike will be pleased to return to the reopened Hood Museum now that its general collection has been re-installed and a rich, new exhibition graces its gallery space.
The Hood maintains the same operating hours as before its closing. It is open Tuesday through Friday 10:00 am to 4:00 (Wednesday to 9:00 PM) and Saturday and Sunday noon to 4:00 PM. As always, the Museum is free and open to the public.
Currently, the Hood Museum houses two new exhibitions. "Pueblo Pottery from New Mexico" features twelve Native American ceramic pieces and "Pictur'd Morals" includes sixteen works by British artist, William Hogarth (1697-1764).
