Collection to undergo conservation, will reopen in new gallery building
Raleigh, N.C.—Beginning January 5, 2009, the Judaic Art Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Art will go off view, as the Museum prepares the works of art in the collection for re-installation in the new building. The Judaic Art Gallery will re-open in the new building in April 2010.
All of the Museum’s Judaica collection will be examined by a conservator to make sure that every object needing treatment receives proper attention before re-installation. In addition, the entire collection will be expertly polished.
The new and expanded Judaic Art Gallery will occupy 1,152 square feet—more than 30 percent larger than the current Judaic Art Gallery. It will be divided into two equal spaces, one devoted to objects for the adornment of the Torah and the synagogue; the other for objects related to the observance of the Sabbath, holidays, and events of the Jewish life cycle.
The extra space will allow for the display of additional objects, including loans from other collections. The long-term loan of several important objects from the Jewish Museum in New York has already been secured. These include an exceptionally rare 17th-century silver beaker for a Hungarian burial society, an early 19th-century Italian silver eternal light, and a three-tiered silver Passover plate from mid-19th century Austria.
About the Judaic Art Gallery
The North Carolina Museum of Art is one of only two art museums in the United States with a gallery devoted to Jewish ceremonial art. The ritual objects, often made of precious metals and embellished with great artistry, served to beautify the ceremonies that define Jewish life. Visitors may tour the Judaic Art Gallery during regular Museum hours.
For more information on the Judaic Art Gallery, call (919) 664-6759. For more information on the Museum, visit www.ncartmuseum.org or call (919) 839-NCMA (6262).