MOBILE, Ala. – On March 1, 2024, Mobile Museum of Art will finish the installation of a chiller, which is the first phase of improvements to the building as the Museum prepares for the 60^th anniversary of its founding and will take place in October 2024.

“From the date of its founding in 1964, Mobile Museum of Art has been an exemplar of public/private partnership,” MMofA Executive Director Jon Carfagno says. “We feel so fortunate to be collaborating with our co-workers at Government Plaza to implement these upgrades, especially at such a fun and important moment in the Museum’s history.”

This is the second of two chillers that have been replaced at MMofA. The first was replaced in December 2022, and both were original to the building expansion in 2001. New chillers ensure that climate control in both the galleries and collection storage meets the standards defined by MMofA’s status as the only Alliance of American Museums accredited institution in our city. With a history of maintaining climate control, MMofA can secure loans that include masterworks on loan from major museums, collectors, and practicing artists.

To celebrate the Museum’s 60^th anniversary in October 2024, MMofA will open exhibitions that feature prominent paintings by Josef Albers, Gene Davis, Max Ernst, Georgia O’Keefe, Yves Tanguy, and Andrew Wyeth. These important loans are being brought to our community from institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Thoma Foundation (Chicago), the Birmingham Museum of Art, and more. Maintenance of the building is crucial to securing these collaborations and opens the door for other exhibitions of this caliber in the future.

In addition to the replacement of the chiller, MMofA will install a new cooling tower this summer that will replace the current unit, which is also original to the 2001 building expansion. Finally, MMofA will undergo maintenance for the outside of the building, which includes cleaning, repairs, and painting and/or sealing. These enhancements will be complete in time for the Museum’s 60^th Anniversary Birthday Party on October 26, 2024.

Support for all Museum exhibitions and programs is provided by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, Mobile County, and the City of Mobile. For more information about Mobile Museum of Art, visit https://link.edgepilot.com/s/2d7fa435/Vv7TbHtmh0yIKCwr6rulVw?u=http://www.mobilemuseumofart.com/.