Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut, is back to business, after reopening its museum following renovation work that has substantially expanded the space.
The mammoth project has now made it possible for one of America’s oldest and most important university museum’s to showcase over 4,000 works of art – including 1,100 new acquisitions –and provided it with a platform to deliver bigger and more diverse exhibitions.
It has been massively transformative, taking it from 40,266 square feet to 69,975 square feet. The undertaking, which cost $135 million (approximately £83.7 million), has expanded the space from one-and-a-half buildings to three, adding the Kahn building and the Old Yale Art Gallery to the original 1953 modernist structure that was designed by Louis Kahn.
There are now designated areas for certain key collections, which is decidedly international. It is also extremely extensive in depth and breadth. This includes African, Asian, Indo-Pacific, European and American art, as well as modern and contemporary art.
What this has fundamentally resulted in is the creation of a unified museum that is a lot more organised and aware of itself, while retaining many of the features that have made it such an iconic and enjoyable place to view and engage with art.
It was originally founded in 1832 by John Trumbull, an artist known for his historical paintings, especially those produced during the American War of Independence (1775-1783). The painter donated over one-hundred works of art to Yale College in the nineteenth century, after which the collection began to grow and grow.
“The new galleries are superb places for viewing art, with space for generous   installations in which recently acquired works provide new perspectives on long time favourites,” commented Jock Reynolds, the Henry J. Heinz II director at Yale University Art Gallery.
“At last visitors can fully experience the remarkable depth and sweep of the Gallery’s holdings. We are deeply grateful to all of the Yale friends and alumni – including our governing board –who have made this initiative possible.”
He added that he was particularly indebted to the “visionary leadership” of Yale president Richard C. Levin, who backed the project from the get-go.
Visitors will, of course, be able to enjoy some of the gallery’s existing works of art, including Frans Hals’ double portrait De Heer Bodolphe and Mevrouw Bodolphe (1643), John Trumbull’s Declaration  of Independence (1786–1820), Vincent van Gogh’s Night Café (1888) and Marcel Duchamp’s Tu m’ (1918).
Cadogan Tate specialises in art transportation, fine art storage and art logistics, helping galleries, museums and collectors manage their collections.