GREENWICH — As the temporary closure of the Bruce Museum for construction work extends into August, supply chain issues are getting the blame.
The museum closed to the public on June 4 to allow work to take place for the ongoing major renovation and expansion project. A date of July 9 was circled, however, the Bruce announced last week that the planned closure was extended until Aug. 15.
No reason was initially given for the extension. But in his weekly e-mail to residents last week, First Selectman Fred Camillo said the construction work had been hindered by delivery delays.
“The driveway to the front entrance is now completely torn up and waiting for paving,” Camillo said in his email. “Unfortunately, the museum has just encountered supply chain problems with paving stones that will delay completion of the work. Landscaping work will continue, as will interior work on the front entrance, bathrooms and the new classrooms in the Cohen Education Wing, but the museum won’t be able to complete the paving and ensure safe access until mid-August.”
The reason for the delay was confirmed Friday by Suzanne Lio, the museum’s managing director and chief operating officer. Other work is ongoing as the museum awaits delivery of the paving stones, she said.
“There is a flurry of activity at our site right now,” Lio said. “As we’ve been reporting, the museum is undergoing a massive expansion project, while renovating some of the existing spaces, simultaneously. Work on the existing building is happening in tandem with the addition. All of this work will transform the Bruce Museum into a state of the art space for community, art, science and education.”
The Bruce began work on the privately financed $60 million multiyear expansion project in 2019. It will add a three-story structure and 43,000 square feet of space, doubling the size of the museum. The plan is to complete all the work by next spring.
The construction work has necessitated previous temporary closures of public access to the museum. But even as the construction proceeded, the Bruce made additions to its collection, including artwork by Picasso and Matisse.
The project will include renovated and expanded galleries, new permanent gallery space, new wings, and new education and community spaces.
As for this summer’s temporary closure, the Bruce is repaving its front entrance, which is the only public entrance and exit. Additionally, the museum is renovating its bathrooms during this closure.
The delay in the stones is not expected to shift the completion date for the project, Lio said.
“We don’t anticipate any significant delays to our project timeline,” she said. “The New Bruce will have a grand opening to welcome the community to our brand new store, cafe, and galleries in spring 2023.”
In the meantime, the museum is offering more online programs, which it began in 2020.
“The Bruce has been offering a robust programming schedule online since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, and we continue to do so,” Lio said.
The annual iCreate exhibit, which features the artwork of local high school students, is completely online this year. It can be viewed at www.brucemuseum.org through Sept. 25. The summer programs offered by the Bruce at the Seaside Center at Greenwich Point Park are also open.
The Bruce Museum was ready for the temporary closure, even with the delay due to the supply chain.
“This is an extension of a planned shutdown, so we knew this was coming and planned accordingly,” Lio said. “And don’t forget, the Bruce Museum’s Seaside Center is open and welcoming visitors.”
In 1908, Robert Moffat Bruce deeded the property, including his mansion that is now the museum, to the town with the stipulation that it be used as a museum for natural history, history and art for the use and benefit of the public. The Bruce Museum boasts more than 20,000 objects in its collection.
