Hey staycationers! Looking to experience world-class art without the hassle of flights or a long drive to a big city museum? The Muskegon Museum of Art has you covered! Home to an impressive collection featuring renowned artists, the museum has just unveiled its stunning new $15.4 million Bennet-Schmidt Pavilion. This expanded space makes it easier than ever to explore these incredible works up close!
A major transformation
In February, the Muskegon Museum of Art celebrated the grand opening of its $15.4 million Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion. This expansion doubles the museum’s space, enhancing its ability to display its exceptional collection and host larger, more diverse exhibitions, solidifying the MMA’s reputation as a leading arts destination.
Named in honor of art collectors Steven Alan Bennett and Dr. Elaine Melotti Schmidt, the new pavilion will add four new galleries, including an underground print gallery, two education studios, a new museum store, an outdoor sculpture park, and viewable collections storage. Staff support spaces, such as expanded collections storage, a workshop, and event prep areas, will also enhance the museum’s operations.
“The MMA will be a national destination while contributing significantly to the cultural and economic success of the Muskegon area,” said Frank Bednarek, MMA Board Chair. “It will continue to be a cultural jewel of our community.”
The museum has come a long way since its founding in 1912 by Muskegon’s philanthropist Charles Hackley, who left $150,000 for the creation of a collection of “pictures of the best kind.” Before the expansion, the MMA housed more than 5,500 works of art. With its limited amount of space only a tiny fraction— three percent— of the collection was on display at any given time. The Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion allows for more works to be shown and creates space for rotating exhibitions, while the historic wing of the museum will now focus on showcasing more of the permanent collection.
A Strategic Expansion for the Future
Kirk Hallman, MMA’s director, explained that the expansion has been in the works for over six years. “In the 1980s, the museum added onto the building, but we quickly ran out of space,” he said. “It was clear that we needed to find a way to grow to meet the increasing demand for exhibition space and public programming.”
In 2018, the museum’s board made the decision to pursue an expansion, launching a capital campaign to raise funds. With the support of generous donors, the museum raised $16 million, including an additional $5 million to cover unexpected construction cost increases. “We had to adapt along the way, but now we’re in a great position,” Hallman noted.
One of the key elements of the expansion is the creation of a 5,000-square-foot exhibition gallery, which will allow the museum to host large-scale exhibitions such as the upcoming Julia Child: A Recipe for Life. Hallman emphasized that the MMA couldn’t have hosted such an exhibition without the additional space, noting that the museum had previously been unable to accommodate large touring exhibits due to physical limitations. The museum’s expansion also includes two classrooms, a new museum store, and a workshop space to support programming and educational initiatives.
A Growing Collection with a Focus on Female Artists
Over the last few years, the MMA has made significant strides in growing its collection, adding over 600 new pieces, including a major acquisition of over 150 figurative realist paintings by women artists to The Bennett Collection. This collection includes works by renowned artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Mary Cassatt, and Andrea Kowch, and will be prominently featured in the new galleries of the Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion.
“We’ve always been committed to acquiring works of significance, and this is a spectacular addition,” Hallman said. “It focuses on women artists painting women over the past 400 years. It’s a new aspect of the museum that I’m excited to share with our visitors.”
In addition to the Bennett Collection, other standout works debuting in the new space include a commissioned glass sculpture by Beth Lipman, a life-size figurative glass piece by Karen LaMonte, and key works by artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Edgar Degas, Shirley Woodson, Jonathan Thunder, and others.
The new classrooms will support a wide range of programs, workshops, and youth initiatives. “We’re one of the few institutions of our type in Michigan without an art school,” Hallman said. “The new spaces will allow us to provide more opportunities for people to engage with art and to develop their own creative skills.”
A Community-Centered Vision
Hallman, who grew up in Muskegon Heights and spent years in arts management, including as the executive director of a musical organization in Indiana, returned to Muskegon to take the helm at the museum. He has seen firsthand how much the city has evolved in recent years. “The past 15 years have been transformative for Muskegon, especially downtown,” he said, and it’s true. A walk around the city’s downtown reveals a cultural scene that is thriving and the opening of the Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion has cemented the downtown’s transformation into a hip urban center. Designed by Annum Architects and Mathison | Mathison Architects and built by Erhardt Construction with support from Construction Simplified, the visually stunning modern structure represents the dawn of a new era for the community. “As we expand our offerings, we anticipate a 50 percent increase in visitors to the museum, which will help support our growth and the local economy.”
As the Bennett-Schmidt Pavilion welcomes new visitors this year, the museum looks forward to its new role as a cultural landmark, not just in Muskegon, but nationally. “This expansion isn’t just about space; it’s about creating a platform for new ideas, new art, and new experiences,” Hallman said. “We’ve got a lot of exciting things in the works, and we can’t wait to share them with the community and the world.”
The Muskegon Museum of Art’s expansion marks a new chapter in the museum’s century-long history, ensuring that it remains a beacon of creativity and culture in the region and beyond.
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W Webster Ave, Muskegon
muskegonartmuseum.org
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