Asian Art Galleries Full-scale Re-installation

In 2012, the Hind Foundation granted $51,750 to Santa Barbara Museum of Art to complete the final stages of the The Asian Art Galleries full-scale re-installation on the  Museum’s upper level—Hammett, Wood, Story, and Eichheim. This project was initiated to improve visitors’ experience of the permanent collection and, at the same time, address another primary goal of the Museum: the care and preservation of the objects. The new galleries are designed to appeal to all ages, interest levels, and degrees of experience with Asian art and culture. The grant funded new signage, new media stations that offer information about cultural history, and new diagrams that highlight materials and photographs.

Noteworthy Results

• Art Preservation
Partitions and walls were strategically placed throughout the gallery to shield displayed artwork from the natural light that previously flooded the galleries and could shorten the lifespan of the very works visitors come to enjoy. 

• New Displays
The renovated Galleries are now capable of displaying a more varied amount of artworks, especially those that are fragile and would be compromised by extended displays.