***COVID-19 Update***

 The Biggs is Going Virtual, Temporarily Closing to the Public

In response to the growing COVID numbers in the area and the recent Stay at Home Advisory issued by the Governor, the Biggs Museum of American Art has decided to proactively close to the public from Wednesday, December 16 through Saturday, January 30. At the end of January, the museum will reevaluate its status and announce if it will reopen to the public or extend the temporary closure. While the museum was not ordered to close, we feel it is part of our social responsibility to make every effort to be a part of the solution in the state and to protect our visitors and staff when possible.

It’s heartbreaking that COVID is resurging at all, but it is especially tough to have to make this decision during arguably the biggest exhibition of the year, Stairway to Heaven which features illustrations by renowned surrealist Salvador Dali.  While the galleries are closed, the Biggs will still be offering a number of virtual programs and options to deliver this exhibition and more to the public.

The Tuesday Night Tours and Lecture Series will continue as scheduled. A short teaser of these programs will be posted to the Biggs’ YouTube and Facebook pages every Thursday, but to see the full program via Zoom, registration is required through the events calendar at BiggsMuseum.org.

• Virtual Tour: Salvador Dali’s Illustrations from The Divine Comedy December 15, 6-7 PM
• Virtual Tour: Salvador Dali’s Illustrations from Les Chants de Maldoror January 5, 6-7 PM
• Virtual Guest Lecture by David Rubin, Exhibition Curator of Salvador Dali’s Stairway to Heaven January 19, 6-7 PM

Pre-recorded Meditative Walking Tours of the Dali exhibition, as well as similar tours featuring galleries containing some of the Biggs’ Collections will be available after Christmas. As these recordings are a work in progress in response to the rapidly changing situation, the link and schedule will be released as they become available.

Private LIVE Virtual Tours and Free Virtual School Tours, Class Trips & Workshops will be available to bring the galleries to you. To book either of these options, please email the Curator of Community & Academic Programs, Kristen Matulewicz at kmatulewicz@biggsmuseum.org.

A Virtual Creative Drawing Workshop will be held via Zoom on Friday, January 22, 2021 from 6 PM – 8 PM. During this 2-hour workshop participants will look deeply at selected artwork from the exhibition Salvador Dalí: Stairway to Heaven, learn techniques that inspired surrealist artists, and draw inspiration from works within the galleries.

The Biggs Kids were not forgotten. As part of the Happy Dali-Days Celebration, the Biggs had planned to release one video for young artists each Saturday through December at 10 AM on Facebook and YouTube. These videos will be released as scheduled, along with the upcoming January Biggs Kids Workshop.

We apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment that this closure may cause, but we hope you will consider joining us for a virtual visit. For all visitors who have pre-purchased tickets and made a reservation for daily admission, a member of our staff will be in touch with you to refund your admission fees.