Yale Art Gallery's New Opening and Old Storage

The Yale Art Gallery is reopening on December 10, restored to something approximating the vision of its architect, Louis Kahn, after decades of alterations. It’s one of those places on Chapel Street that I referred to the other day as having interesting things to look at inside and out. Kahn also designed the Yale Center for British Art, which is across Chapel Street. I’m not sure who designed the Yale School of Architecture building, though. It’s across York Street from the Yale Art Gallery and is notable for its awfulness.

Only part of the Art Gallery was open during the renovation, the part that’s in the old building, which houses not only an interesting collection of American paintings and artifacts, but the remains of the painter John Trumbull, whose decision to sell his paintings led to the creation of the Yale Picture Gallery, and those of his wife. If you’re in the old building, take the elevator (it’s old enough to require an operator) to the basement and look for the commemorative plaque. I was reading it aloud to my son the other day when the elevator operator walked by.

“They’re in there,” he said and pointed to a door near the plaque. A small sign read “Storage.”

As for the new part of Art Gallery, it had an opening for the press yesterday, but environmental bloggers weren’t invited.