‘Absolutely stunning’: First-day visitors take in Frank Gehry’s Art Museum transformation

After 15 years of planning, design, and reconstruction, the Philadelphia Museum of Art unveiled its $233 million Frank Gehry transformation late Friday morning with a ribbon cutting outside the newly revamped West entrance.

Mayor Jim Kenney spoke, Philadelphia’s youth poet laureate Cydney Brown recited a poem with the enticing line “Inside you’ll see,” and then first-day visitors entered through the new glass doors — replacing the revolving-door bottleneck of old — for a look at the 90,000 square feet of newly designed space.

“I was most excited to see the new entrance — it’s absolutely stunning,” said Angelina Maniero, 19. “There’s no barriers or tables anymore, and it’s just a lot more open and inviting than before.”

Beyond that entryway lies the redesign’s marquee public space, the 40-foot-high Forum, which visitors enter at balcony level, looking down. There, the monumental installation, Fire, by Teresita Fernández, caught Maniero’s eye. The work shows a map of the United States made from pieces of charcoal, with space carved out between each state and territory.

“After the divided year we’ve had, it was an interesting piece for them to open with,” Maniero said. “It’s really cool to view from up above on the balcony.”

The museum’s new contemporary galleries, the Daniel W. Dietrich II Galleries, are one of two large new suites of exhibition space that visitors encounter just past the Forum at balcony level. First-day visitor John Spinella, 38, was pleased to see the works by 25 Philadelphia-connected artists on display in the opening exhibit, New Grit: Art & Philly Now.

“It’s refreshing to see the museum open up more spaces for contemporary art, and especially for local art,” Spinella said, standing near a colorful oil painting by Becky Suss. “Philly has plenty of legitimate artists, and I’d like to see them do more of that in the future.”

New Grit includes paintings, sculpture, ceramics, fiber arts, photography, video art, and more.

“There’s just so much variety. It’s like a sensory attack, which I like,” said Nancy Roselli, 65.

Roselli’s eyes lit on a display of flashing neon flames by Philadelphia-based and Camden-born artist Alex da Corte, flickering from yellow to orange.

“It’s impossible for your eyes not to pop after looking at that,” said Roselli. “Really this entire exhibit makes you feel.”

In the museum’s other new suite of gallery space, the Robert L. McNeil Jr. Galleries of American art from 1650 and 1850, first-day visitor Fran Levi, 75, took note of the expansive narrative that tells of that era’s art.

With more than 800 pieces on display, the galleries are curated to explore themes that include immigration, colonialism, and global trade, and the prominent role that Philadelphia played in all. They highlight contributions by Indigenous artists and enslaved craftsmen, among others, and speak to the influence of Spain, Mexico, and China, in addition to that of the English colonizers.

“They’ve gone beyond the British artist to create something that I think is truly representative of early American art, and it’s long past due,” said Levi, standing at the galleries’ entrance before portraits of two Lenape chiefs by Gustavus Hesselius.

“It’s important to recognize that there were a variety of people who were artists, some by choice and some not,” Levi said. “And the museum’s done a great job with the explanations for everything.”

Devon Fiorelli, 28, said she woke up feeling genuinely excited to come see the museum’s renovations, particularly the McNeil Galleries.

“I’ve been waiting for a while for this to open, and it’s just great to see,” Fiorelli said.“ Too often you don’t see places bringing to light that a lot of art is made and inspired by people of color.”

A Gehry-designed curving staircase in the Forum leads down from the new gallery spaces to the long-closed vaulted walkway beneath, running north to south and spanning the entire width of the building.

Some visitors said the vaulted walkway, part of which reopened in September 2019, felt like the real star of the renovations.

“I’m not sold on the other spaces, and I’m not sure of their long-term benefits, but I suppose the jury’s still out,” said Scott Miller, 69, sitting on a bench inside the 640-foot long corridor. “This right here, though, is just wonderful.”

“I love the tile work on the ceiling, you have all this natural light illuminating the seating area — it’s beautiful,” he said.

Jabri Dionisio, 38, said he, too, found himself in awe.

“I’m from Spain, and I have yet to see arches like this on such a big scale outside of Granada,” said Dionisio, looking up toward the tiled ceiling. “They’re magnificent. It’s like you were in a temple.”

Through May 10, visitors can pay what they wish for museum admission. Pandemic capacity limits, however, remain in place. Details are at philamuseum.org.

Friday’s reopened spaces drew hundreds of visitors throughout the day, which was for some the best part after more than a year of pandemic-mandated sheltering.

“The new space is lovely, but I’m honestly just happy to see so many people,” said visitor Amy Clipston.