With the Amon Carter Museum of American Art leading the way, three big Fort Worth art museums announced Thursday that they will reopen, albeit with an imposition of strict safety measures. The Carter will go first, reopening on June 19, with members only allowed in for three straight days starting Tuesday.
The Kimbell Art Museum will follow the Carter, reopening June 20. The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will reopen on July 1.
Museums in Dallas and Fort Worth were shuttered in mid-March, when a national emergency was declared in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Dallas Museum of Art, the Nasher Sculpture Center and the Crow Museum of Asian Art have yet to announce plans to reopen. The Crow and the Nasher suffered damage in late May during a downtown protest stemming from outcries of police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Crow director Amy Lewis Hofland said Thursday she hopes to reopen by mid-September, after repair work is complete.
As they reopen, Fort Worth museums are taking the guarded step of enforcing new safety measures. The Carter is requiring staff and visitors to wear masks and promises to “sanitize surfaces frequently.” The Carter and the Kimbell will limit capacity to 50%, while the Modern will allow in no more than 500 people at a time.
The Kimbell cites the installation of “signage and other visual reminders to ensure visitors and staff maintain a safe social distance of at least six feet.” Its announcement also notes:
“All visitors [ages 2 and up] should wear a mask during their visit to the Kimbell. Masks are available upon request. All Kimbell staff are required to wear masks. Custodial staff have increased cleaning frequency among high-touch locations. Additional hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the buildings, including at every entrance.”
The Modern issued these conditions:
- Face masks or cloth face coverings are required for entry to the museum. Parents and/or accompanying adults may use discretion with masks for children over the age of 2.
- Please do not come into the building if you are experiencing any symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as cough, shortness of breath, or fever.
- Please practice social distancing when you are in the museum, and follow any instructions from museum staff. Parties may remain together; children must stay with adults at all times.
- Please take advantage of the wall-mounted touchless hand sanitizer dispensers located in all restrooms and the freestanding dispensers located throughout the building.
And now, the art. The Carter will show “The Perilous Texas Adventures of Mark Dion,” “Looking In: Photography from the Outside,” and “Eliot Porter’s Birds” through Sunday, July 5.
At the Kimbell, the special exhibition, “Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum” has been extended through July.
And at the Modern, “Mark Bradford: End Papers” has been extended through Jan. 10, 2021, and Red Groom’s “Ruckus Rodeo” through Aug. 16.
