Bellefonte Art Museum has a new way to display artwork. And you can see it anytime
It would seem that the Bellefonte Art Museum has made its peace with the cost of Windex.
Earlier this month, the museum unveiled a new 31-foot-long display window that will allow passersby to view art 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In fact they’ve actually gone ahead and called it the 24/7 Display Window.
“You know it kind of reminds me of going to the big city when you were a kid and you got to see the windows at Macy’s or Saks or something. Our window is there to remind people that there are things inside that might be particularly interesting,” said Pat House, the museum’s executive director.
In the event you feel the time is right to make the jump from casual sidewalk art-viewer to indoor-connoisseur, she’s referring to five galleries, a children’s space, a museum store and the historic Underground Railroad room.
If that doesn’t beat a rousing chorus of “Be Our Guest” there’s also a ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Feb. 24 that will celebrate the latest renovations to the Linn House, which this time include re-pointed brickwork and new porch decking.
The work was completed with the help of grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“It has exceeded my expectations, which is hard because I thought I had some really great expectations for what could happen with this house,” House said.
Lately the museum has seen crowds ranging from 200 to 300 people for exhibit openings.
House attributes much of that success to an interest in locally produced art, which isn’t to say that people go wild for any old fresco with a Centre County zip code attached. Like most things it’s built on relationships — a portrait by a next neighbor, a sculpture by your dentist.
“We’ve really been able to stimulate people’s interest in each other by showing art that’s local,” House said.
Right now the window features creations from last summer’s “Imagination Celebration.” Each month will bring something different, but bet on there being a local tie more often than not.