The Seattle Art Museum (SAM) has announced that its Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park will reopen to the public, following the completion of a major $56 million renovation and expansion, on Saturday, February 8, 2020. In celebration of the milestone, the institution will extend its hours on February 8 and February 9 and will offer a series of free programming that reflects the twelve themes of its newly reinstalled galleries.

“This is a pivotal moment for SAM and for the city of Seattle,” said director and CEO Amada Cruz. “With the completion of this project, we unveil new spaces to connect the museum’s extraordinary collection of Asian art to our lives and experiences. I’m grateful to the city of Seattle, the staff, and supporters of SAM, and especially to my predecessor, Kimerly Rorschach, for seeing this monumental project through.”

The historic Art Deco building, which houses the Asian Art Museum, was the original home of the Seattle Art Museum. In 1991, SAM moved into its current home in downtown Seattle, and in 1994, the Asian Art Museum was born. In order to upgrade its infrastructure, increase the amount of space for exhibitions and educational initiatives, and improve accessibility, the Asian Art Museum closed in February 27, 2017 to undergo a transformation led by the Seattle-based firm LMN Architects and the landscape architect Walker Macy.

The updated building boats of a new glass-enclosed park lobby, an education studio, a conservation center, a community meeting room, and new galleries. The project also included the cleaning and preservation of its original sandstone facade and Art Deco metalwork and glass. The museum will inaugurate its new galleries on the east side of the institution with the special exhibition “Be/longing: Contemporary Asian Art,” featuring art from Azerbaijan, Iran, India, Thailand, Korea, China, and Japan.