Birmingham Museum of Art to reopen in October

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WBRC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) announced plans to reopen on Tuesday, October 6.

The BMA has been carefully monitoring the rate of COVID-19 in Jefferson County and has been engaged in ongoing discussions with public health experts, the City of Birmingham, and its Board of Trustees.

The museum will open with a 50% capacity on attendance, but will resume normal operating hours of Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from Noon to 5 p.m.

Oscar’s Cafe, the BMA’s on-site restaurant, and Bart’s ArtVenture, its interactive space for children, will remain closed until further notice.

“While the pandemic is far from over, we believe that art is a powerful medium, with the ability to both heal and entertain at a time when our community may need it most,” says R. Hugh Daniel Director, Dr. Graham C. Boettcher. “With the health and safety of our visitors and staff as our top priority, we are very excited to welcome visitors back to the BMA. Our spacious 150,000-square-foot facility and 30,000-square-feet of outdoor area, including the stunning and lush Red Mountain Garden Club Memorial Garden, provides members of our community with plenty of space to safely enjoy our vast collection of art from around the world. As always, we are proud to offer admission to the BMA completely free of charge.”

Among the new safety protocols:

● Attendance is limited to 50% of the Museum’s overall capacity

● Masks are required for all staff and visitors over the age of 2

● Deep cleaning of Museum facilities takes place daily

● Cleaning of high-touch areas takes place multiple times per day

● Any touch interactives within the BMA will be closed

● Physical distancing will be aided by visuals in high-traffic areas

● Hands-free hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the building

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