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Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) to Open Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art during 24 Hour Celebration on September 17 – 18

On September 17 – 18, contemporary art will find a dynamic new home at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), when the Museum unveils the Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art. Located in the building I.M. Pei designed for the MFA in 1981, the wing will include seven new galleries that will present innovative approaches to the exhibition of contemporary art within the context of the Museum’s encyclopedic collections, offering new perspectives and encouraging connections between art of the past and present. The Henry and Lois Foster Gallery for rotating exhibitions will feature the exhibition Ellsworth Kelly: Wood Sculpture, the first museum survey of wood sculpture by the acclaimed artist. In addition, the Linde Family Wing will be a lively social space at the Museum—a destination for full engagement with contemporary culture in all its forms through art, music, performances, readings, lectures, courses, and artist demonstrations. To mark the opening, the Museum will host a lively 24-hour celebration—beginning with ticketed parties on September 17 and culminating in a free Open House on September 18—at which it will debut the MFA’s new acquisition, Christian Marclay’s 24-hour video, The Clock.


Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The Linde Family Wing, totaling more than 80,000 square feet, is housed in the Museum’s west-facing extension, where a barrel-vaulted skylight provides natural illumination throughout the wing’s two floors. It is named in recognition of the generosity of Museum benefactors Joyce Linde and her late husband, Edward Linde, and their family. The enhancement of the wing will more than triple the display of contemporary art, resulting in more than 21,000 square feet for the display of art.

“The opening of the Linde Family Wing is a transformative moment for contemporary art at the MFA,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the Museum. “The new galleries will provide a welcoming gateway for visitors to experience the excitement of contemporary art, opening new doors for the discovery of our collections. As one of the world’s greatest encyclopedic museums, the MFA can bridge past and present by placing contemporary art into a historical and global context. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of the Linde family, longtime friends and supporters of the Museum, the MFA will be able to create a vibrant new environment for the enjoyment of contemporary art.”

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), opened the doors of its red brick and terra-cotta building in Copley Square on July 4, 1876. Over time, the rapid growth of the collection made a new location necessary and the Museum hired architect Guy Lowell to develop a master plan for a grand, classical museum. In November 1909, the MFA opened the doors to its present Beaux Arts-designed granite structure on Huntington Avenue. Throughout the century, the Museum continued to expand with major additions such as its Evans Wing (designed by Lowell) in 1915, and its West Wing (designed by I.M. Pei) in 1981. In 1999, the MFA commissioned the architectural firm, Foster + Partners (London), to develop a master site plan that would reflect the strong north/south axis of Lowell’s original design while addressing the MFA’s

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