Did you know the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art estimated losses of nearly $100 million after it closed on March 13th? And according to the American Alliance of Museums, across the United States, museums are losing $33 million each day. Of course many museums have been offering virtual tours of exhibitions but that will never cover the insurance and loans from curators who spent months or years on exhibitions that will never materialize.
The good news? It's mid-May and museums are slowly (but surely) reopening. Unfortunately, these museums are all outside of the U.S. It doesn't look like museums will be opening anytime soon in the U.S. but it is still International Museum Day so we are celebrating museums all around the world today. International Museum Day has been celebrated since its founding in 1977 on May 18th for their valuable spaces for cultural experiences. While many museums are now opening especially in Italy, Hong Kong, Germany, South Korea, and Switzerland, there are new rules that people must follow and as always abide by social distancing.
Below is a list of museums around the world that are opening:
West Bund Museum, Shanghai, China
The Power Station of Art, Shanghai, China
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, China
Asia Society, Hong Kong, China
UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing, China (reopens May 21)
Berliniche Galerie Museum of Modern Art, Berlin, Germany
Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna, Rome, Italy (reopens today May 18th)
The Giacometti Institute, Paris, France (open)
Foundation Beyeler, Basel, Switzerland (opened May 11)
The Old Masters Museum, Brussels, Belgium (reopens May 19)
Museum Brandhorst, Munich, Germany (reopens May 19)
https://www.instagram.com/metmuseum/The Met Museum is celebrating International Museum Day on Instagram. See their stories to enjoy virtual viewings of museums around the world.
