After more than six weeks of closure due to the government shutdown, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to reopen to the public. The reopening comes on the heels of the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which resulted in the suspension of numerous public and cultural services. According to a report by Artnews and the museum’s official announcement, the National Gallery will resume normal operations starting on Friday, with normal opening hours. Indoor services, including cafeterias and bars, will also be back in operation. The reopening will also allow the public to visit one of the most notable exhibitions of the U.S. season, The Stars We Do Not See: Australian Indigenous Art, a retrospective that brings together nearly 200 works and is considered the largest exhibition of Australian indigenous art ever organized outside the continent. The exhibition, originally scheduled for mid-October, had never opened due to the museum’s Oct. 5 closure. It will officially open Saturday, shortly after it returns to full operation.
Not only does the National Gallery resume operations: as Artnews writes, some branches of the Smithsonian Institution, which operates a network of more than 30 museums and the National Zoo, will reopen at the same time later this week. In particular, the National Museum of American History, the National Air and Space Museum and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will welcome visitors again on Friday. The other facilities, including museums, research centers and the zoo, will gradually reopen starting Monday, according to the institution. At this time, the Smithsonian has not provided a detailed timetable for all locations. The 43-day shutdown had been caused by disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over the government budget. Indeed, Congress had struggled to agree on the spending package until the House of Representatives passed the proposal, which was later signed by President Donald Trump, marking the end of the shutdown.
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| National Gallery and Smithsonian reopen after 43-day closure due to government shutdown |
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