THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM’S EXPANSION PLANS were, from the start, viewed skeptically by some historians and preservationists. How on earth could the museum add on to the majestic Venetian-style palace, built more than a century ago, without ruining it? Anne Hawley, the Gardner’s longtime director, never wavered. She bristled at staffers who questioned the project, even suggesting they consider working elsewhere. She urged board members to give money like never before, to cover the $118 million expansion and renovation. And she pushed Italian architect Renzo Piano to create, change, and refine what would become the Gardner’s second building.
The result? Numbers-wise, the expansion has been a blockbuster since opening January 19. More than 235,000 visitors have come into the Gardner, all of them through the museum’s new wing, which connects to the palace by a glass-covered walkway. The museum’s previous high had been 211,941 in 1999.
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The trouble is, there is virtually no art in the expansive new wing. It is given to administration, cafeteria, library, and performance space. The actual collection is where it always was, poorly hung, dimly lit, scarcely labelled, and frustratingly difficult to see. If they put half as much effort into improving the presentation of the art, instead of sinking the funds into an expensive annex, it would make a big difference. Until they address the main wing, the museum remains a terrible disappointment.