After extensive renovations of the Old Patent Office Building that houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture held a grand opening July 1, 2006.
After undergoing a six-year renovation, the Old Patent Office Building reopened on July 1, 2006, as The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture. The Center is home to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery of the Archives of American Art in Washington, D.C.
Some of the additions to the museums included a large auditorium, new windows with special light filters to protect the art, and 20 percent more gallery space. Additionally, the Smithsonain American Art Museum installed open storage galleries with rows of glass cases and drawers with works from the Museum's collections.
Related Resources
- "Grand Reopening: Speaking of Art" by Arthur Lubow, July 2006, Smithsonian Magazine
- "Museums Reopen to a Brand-New View" by Jacqueline Trescott, July 1, 2006, Washington Post
- Smithsonian American Art Museum history, Smithsonian Institution Archives
- National Portrait Gallery history, Smithsonian Institution Archives
Clik here to view.
