Visitors who want to see the Knoxville Museum of Art will have to put their plans on hold for a while.
The museum officially closed Sunday evening and won’t reopen for three months. During that time, construction crews will remodel bathrooms, replace floors and upgrade lighting, all part of the museum’s most ambitious renovation since it moved to World’s Fair Park in 1990.
The most visible change will involve the installation of an enormous glass and steel sculpture created by local artist Richard Jolley. To support the tons of glass needed for the piece, crews are installing heavy-duty steel beams in the Great Hall. The glass will begin to arrive in October, according to KMA's Marketing Director Angela Thomas.
“While we would rather not close our doors to the public at any time,” Executive Director David Butler said in a press release, “what they see when we reopen will be well worth the inconvenience.”
The museum will reopen on Friday, November 29 in time for the annual East Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition. However, Jolley's "Cycle of Life" sculpture won't be ready for public viewing until May.