Brooklyn Museum Gets $50M For 21st-Century Upgrade: Mayor

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — The Brooklyn Museum will soon get a 21st-century upgrade thanks to $50 million from the city, officials announced this week.

The capital investment — given to the museum from the city's Department of Cultural Affairs — will fund a massive renovation on the 120-year-old building, including adding new space for after-school programs and galleries.

“As New York City’s rich art and culture institutions emerge from the pandemic, this historic $50 million investment will ensure the Brooklyn Museum remains an iconic destination for generations to come," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The renovations will include modernizing 40,000 square feet of existing collection galleries, improving infrastructure across the museum, updating the facility's energy-efficiency and providing more space for after-school programs and gallery space that will be devoted to Brooklyn's history, officials said.

It will specifically include renovations to the fourth and fifth-floor galleries for European, decorative and American arts, which officials say "will transform the visitor experience, and enable the Museum to share more of its collection, engage new audiences with interactive digital technologies, and represent a major reduction in the Museum’s climate impact."

“This historic investment will reimagine the museum for the next hundred years and further our commitments to connect with and serve our community," said the Museum's Anne Pasternak. "We are profoundly grateful to Mayor de Blasio and everyone in the Administration for their belief in our civic and cultural importance.”