The Muskegon Museum of Art in Michigan has unveiled its $15.4 million expansion to the public. The expansion doubles the space of the original building, which opened in 1912. The new Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion spans 26,000 square feet across three levels.
It includes four new galleries, an underground print gallery, two education studios, viewable collections storage, a new gift store, and an outdoor sculpture park. Kirk Hallman, Executive Director, believes the project will have a wide-ranging economic and cultural impact. “It really has turned us from a stop-over museum where someone traveling through might spend an hour or two, to a real destination, where you’ll come to Muskegon to see this art museum,” he said.
The expansion also features staff support areas such as extended collections storage, a workshop, and event preparation spaces. The new education studios will enable the museum to offer classes, workshops, events, and open art studio hours during regular museum operations. The museum’s permanent collection of 5,500 pieces includes paintings, sculptures, and prints.
They also host 15 to 20 rotating exhibitions throughout the year.
MMA expansion unveils new pavilion
More than 150 paintings by women artists have been donated to the MMA by art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Elaine Melotti Schmidt.
Some of these works are featured in the new building’s inaugural exhibition, “Transcending Tradition: Selection of Works from The Bennett Collection of Women Realists,” which is open through May 11. “This opening of the Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion marks the start of a new era for the MMA. Steven and Elaine’s vision is one shared by the MMA.
The Bennett-Schmidt gift is a call to action institutionally, encouraging both the Muskegon Museum of Art and other institutions to continually expand opportunities for women artists,” Hallman expressed. The Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion was designed by Annum Architects of Boston in collaboration with Mathison | Mathison Architects in Grand Rapids. The planning for the project started in 2018 and finally broke ground in May of 2023.
The museum is located at 296 W. Webster Ave. in downtown Muskegon.