A 5.5 million dollar renovation to the Newark Museum will restore its original entrance on Washington Street. Museum CEO Steven Kern says it will expand the capacity for more exhibits.
“By opening these doors and reconnecting with the community, replacing big bronze doors with glass doors so people so people can see what is happening in the museum as they walk by. [It] means that we can also redistribute space on the inside so we can grow the size of our special exhibition space to make us more competitive nationally.”
The entrance is being named after the Museum’s first financial contributor, a famous Newark department store owner.
“Louis Bamberger is going to be honored by having the entrance dedicated to him. This is what I meant by honoring a special chapter in Newark’s history,” Kern said. “There’s no other major American museum in another major American city that was founded with a Jewish leadership in 1909 when this museum was chartered.”
The naming is especially exciting news for Linda Forgosh, who recently authored Bamberger’s comprehensive biography.
“It was his love of the city of Newark that propelled him to give the institution that is being celebrated today. It’s got a new look; in other words, it’s marching along with what’s happening in Newark.”
Museum renovations are expected to wrap up in March 2018.