RALEIGN, NC. Visitors have a month to see their favorite works of art before the North Carolina Museum of Art building temporarily closes beginning Monday, September 7, for approximately seven months. The grand opening of the Museum expansion, a new 127,000-square-foot gallery building for the permanent collection, is scheduled for mid-April 2010.

“We’re preparing for a big move, but before the Museum’s doors close, I invite you spend some time with us. Enjoy the Restaurant, browse the Museum Store, and spend some time in the galleries with our outstanding collection before it moves to a new home,” said Museum Director Lawrence J. Wheeler.

During the seven-month hiatus art handlers will move and install more than 750 works of art into the new galleries. As works of art come off the walls, many will go into the conservation lab to be treated, cleaned, or reframed for their April debut. The lobby area of the current building will undergo renovations as well. For the safety of visitors and protection of the collection, the building cannot remain open during these critical operations.

The Museum is committed to continuing to share art experiences throughout the transition period. The 164-acre Museum Park will remain open and the Museum will present Museum on the Move, a series of lectures, films, concerts, family programs, and other offerings in the Park and at venues throughout the Triangle. Arts in the Museum Park, the summer series of movies and concerts in the amphitheater will also continue uninterrupted through the end of September.

“We are thrilled to be entering the final phase of our expansion project, and as we prepare for this grand transformation, we have a unique opportunity to expand our reach by bringing programs to the community and connecting with the people of our state in new ways,” said Wheeler.