Posted on Sat, Sep. 15, 2007
Perelman opens its doors
By Peter Dobrin
INQUIRER CULTURE WRITER
A $90 million picture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was finished today when
an eager public walked through the front door of the museum's first new exhibition building since the main structure opened
eight decades ago. About 100 visitors gathered at the steps of the Ruth and Raymond
G. Perelman Building
on a cool morning as museum director Anne d'Harnoncourt, chairman H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, stealth arts leader Marjorie O. "Midge"
Rendell and other dignitaries cut a large red ribbon and welcomed art lovers up the steps. "We
knew the building could not be complete until the public claimed it as its own, and that is the joy of today," said d'Harnoncourt
before she herself walked into the building and her eyes welled with tears. It
was less a day for throngs than quiet contemplation of art; the center spine of the Perelman, a skylit galleria lined with
sculpture, rarely hosted more than a dozen visitors at a time. But those who
did turn up were audibly wowed, offering security guards impromptu reviews of the art and the space, and releasing exclamations
as they turned the corner into the sunny central arcade. "Oh my God, it's beautiful.
The exterior is gorgeous. The hall filled with light is exquisite," said Lucinda Trask, a Port Richmond costume designer who
came to study the collections of fashion designers James Galanos, Gustave Tassell and Ralph Rucci. Construction workers, infants rolled about by their grandparents, a couple of medical students, a drawing
collector from New York - everyone looked delighted by the
173,000-square-foot addition.
The building's
namesake smiled at the sight of people sitting in the cafe, passing in front of photos by Alfred Stieglitz and examining spaces
designed by New York architect Richard Gluckman. "It's fantastic. Everyone just raves about it," said Raymond Perelman, who along with his wife, Ruth, gave
$15 million toward the project. He also admired something else he gave - or at
least loaned - for the opening. "This was in my living room," he said, pointing
to Aristide Maillol's bronze of a woman of ample proportions. "Anne [d'Harnoncourt] said it would look better in here." And does it? "I guess so," he said. "Look
at how high that ceiling is. My living room is high, but not like this." For
her part, d'Harnoncourt's impromptu arias about the building's potential could hardly be contained. She stood in the building's
foyer, accepting compliments and talking art. A museum volunteer wanted to know
what the significance of the snake was in the Anselm Kiefer sculpture. "He's always someone who mingles the hopeful, aspirational
and the dangerous," said d'Harnoncourt. "Snakes are something to look out for." A
photography buff suggested a lecture series. Funny you should mention it, d'Harnoncourt said. "That could happen in our new
media room." The Perelman's content and programming will be explored over time,
with plans for exhibitions of new acquisitions, and also the possibility of films and concerts. The art now in the building
- the 1955 silk cocktail dresses, Stieglitz cityscapes and soulful portraits of Georgia O'Keefe, the Russel Wright "flair"
tumblers in the modern and contemporary design gallery - will constantly change. Exhibitions will turn over, on average, every
six months. That means visitors must come back again and again to see what's
new, giving the museum the hope of luring about 80,000 visitors to the new building in the first year. That's on top of the
750,000 to one million who already see the Impressionist masterpieces, Duchamps and arms and armor in the main building every
year.
Actually, today's
opening was only one of many in the last several months. Members were admitted last week. Donors and potential donors have
donned construction hats and taken tours for more than a year as museum leaders have struggled to close the $20 million to
$25 million funding gap to cover the $90 million spent on acquisition of the building and renovations. Only last week, at
a gala for philanthropists and other VIPs, a couple pledged $1.5 million. Other
opening events are planned for area artists and cultural leaders; teachers, who will learn about the new education center
at a back-to-school night; and corporate donors, who get a fete to themselves. Eventually,
the Art Museum hopes to capitalize on visitorship to the Barnes Foundation, whose collection could end up on the Parkway if
civic leaders get their way. From the Perelman by brisk walk, a Barnes on the site of the Youth Study Center
would be about 13 minutes away. In the meantime, there's a better lure to the
Perelman. A $500,000 grant from Wachovia to the museum will underwrite admission. For
today's visitors and anyone wanting to see a David Smith sculpture, Philippe Starck juicer or sleek 1968 Gustave Tassell wool
coat before the end of the year, that means admission is free.
Contact culture writer Peter Dobrin at 215-854-5611 or pdobrin@phillynews.com.
Read his blog at http://go.philly.com/artswatch.
