Glenstone Museum Will Reopen the Pavilions on July 23 at a Limited Capacity

July 2, 2020
A gravel path cuts through an expanse of meadow. A number of visitors are moving toward the grey concrete buildings in the distance. Trees amass further in the landscape.

POTOMAC, MD, July 2, 2020 – Glenstone Museum will reopen the Pavilions, its largest indoor exhibition space, on July 23 at a limited capacity during regular visitor hours (Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.). The decision follows the launch of Montgomery County’s second phase of openings, which allows for indoor activities that meet specific requirements.

“Following weeks of welcoming visitors to enjoy and explore our outdoor artworks in a natural setting, we are happy to expand the Glenstone experience to include the exhibitions in the Pavilions,” said Emily Wei Rales, co-founder and director of Glenstone. “Our unique approach of providing an uncrowded and unhurried visitor experience allows Glenstone to offer a safe and socially distanced experience for lovers of art and nature.”

The safety and wellbeing of Glenstone’s visitors and associates continue to be the museum’s top priorities. In accordance with government and health guidelines, Glenstone has adjusted its visitor experience to include additional precautionary measures during the coronavirus outbreak. These include:

• Scheduling all visits in advance; walk-ups, including Ride On Bus passengers who do not have a scheduled visit, will not be permitted, to help manage capacity

• Limiting visitor capacity and adhering to specific restrictions inside the Pavilions Rooms

• Admitting visitors in 15-minute intervals to stagger arrivals

• Requiring visitors and staff to wear masks at all times

•  Restricting maximum group size to 5

•  Instructing different households/arrival groups to remain six feet apart

•  Displaying face covering reminder signs and social distancing markers throughout the Pavilions

•  Installing indoor hand sanitizing stations at each point of entry, bathroom, elevator, and outside rooms

A full list of guidelines is available on the website.

Beginning July 23, visitors will have access to the indoor art spaces in the Pavilions, as well as the Water Court in the center of the building. Rooms include single-artist installations by Lawrence Weiner, Ellsworth Kelly, On Kawara, Robert Gober, Michael Heizer, Shirin Neshat, Charles Ray, Roni Horn, Brice Marden, and Cy Twombly, as well as a work by Lorna Simpson, Specific Notation, 2019, which opened just before Glenstone closed its interiors. Room 2 in the Pavilions offers 65 works by 53 artists dating from 1943 to 1989.

Visitors will continue to have access to the outdoor sculptures installed throughout the nearly 300 acres of land at Glenstone, including Jeff Koons’ Split-Rocker, 2000, which is reaching its peak bloom for the season, and Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller’s FOREST (for a thousand years…), 2012, with rearranged seating designed in consultation with the artists to ensure social distancing. 

Visits can be booked at glenstonestag.wpengine.com. Tickets will be released at 10 a.m. on July 6 for visits scheduled July 23 – September 30. Glenstone’s traditional ticket release schedule will resume on August 1 when October visits go live and will continue to be released in 3-month increments unless there are additional changes in operating status.

The Gallery, the Café, the Patio, and the Environmental Center remain closed.

Glenstone will continue to offer online programming on its social media pages.

Updates will continue to be listed on Glenstone’s website. Visitors are encouraged to check glenstonestag.wpengine.com for the latest information.

About Glenstone

Glenstone, a museum of modern and contemporary art, is integrated into nearly 300 acres of gently rolling pasture and unspoiled woodland in Montgomery County, Maryland, less than 15 miles from the heart of Washington, DC. Established by the not-for-profit Glenstone Foundation, the museum opened in 2006 and provides a contemplative, intimate setting for experiencing iconic works of art and architecture within a natural environment.

Glenstone is open Thursdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to Glenstone is free and visits can be scheduled online at: glenstonestag.wpengine.com.

Media Contact:

Media inquiries: press@glenstone.org

General inquiries: info@glenstone.org

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