Bruce Museum of Arts and Science
Established | 1912 |
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Location | 1 Museum Drive Greenwich, Connecticut, United States |
Type | Art, science, natural history |
Executive director | Robert P. Woltersdorff |
Chairs |
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Public transit access | Greenwich |
Website | brucemuseum.org |
The Bruce Museum (colloquially referred to as The Bruce or The New Bruce) is a art, science and natural history museum located in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The Bruce's main building sits on a hill in a downtown park, and its tower (not open to the public) can be easily seen by drivers passing by on Interstate 95.[1] Permanent exhibits include minerals, area Native American history and culture, changes in the area landscape and environment by human activity, and dioramas of Connecticut woodland wildlife and birds. The museum hosts changing exhibitions of art, photography, natural history, science, history and culture.
A second location, the Bruce Museum Seaside Center, is maintained at Greenwich Point Park, focusing on beach-related exhibits, including a touch-tank. The museum also has a "Brucemobile" with exhibits in a traveling van for outreach education. The museum hosts frequent lectures, classes and social events.[1] The Museum has hosted a local arts festival for over 40 years. The festival includes juried artist selections and is recognized nationally as one of the top fine arts festivals.[2]
Between 2020 and 2023, the museum has tripled its size, through the development of The New Bruce, a state-of-the-art facility, on three floors with over 43,000-square-foot additional exhibition space. The new addition features a designated Steven & Alexandra Cohen Education Wing as well as the William L. Richter Art Wing.[3][4]
Art holdings
The art collection has a strong emphasis on the
Permanent exhibits
The Bruce Museum promotes the understanding and appreciation of Art and Science to enrich the lives of all people.
History
The Bruce Museum was originally built as private home 1853 for lawyer, clergyman and historian Francis Lister Hawks. In 1858, a wealthy textile merchant and member of the New York Cotton Exchange, Robert Moffat Bruce (1822-1908) bought the house and property. In 1908, he deeded his mansion to the town of Greenwich for it to be used "as a natural history, historical and art museum, for the use and benefit of the public."[8]
The Museum's first exhibition opened in 1912, featuring the
In 1992, the Bruce Museum, Inc. established as a non-profit organization. That same year, the museum started a project to completely renovate its building.[1]
When it reopened in September 1993, the museum featured an architectural structure wrapped around the original building, housing galleries for art on one side of the main pavilion with galleries of environmental history on the other.
In 2001,
References
- ^ a b c d "Bruce Museum". Town of Greenwich. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Bruce Museum to Host 40th Annual Outdoor Arts Festival, October 9 & 10, 2021". Greenwich Sentinel. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
- ^ "the New BRUCE". the New BRUCE. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ Museum, Bruce (2023-03-07). "The Bruce Museum Announces Grand Reopening After $67M Expansion". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ http://www.brucemuseum.org/collections/index.php?collection=art Bruce Museum Web site, "Collections" page, "Art" accessed on July 1, 2006
- ^ "What to Expects". Archived from the original on 2010-05-06.
- ^ "expect". Archived from the original on 2010-05-06.
- ^ "Bruce Museum History page". Bruce Museum.
- ^ "Bruce Museum history page". Bruce Museum.
- ^ "Greenwich, CT town website". Greenwich, CT town website.