Is this a first? We are quite used to having museums add evening hours for a popular exhibition, staying open all night in the final days, and even extending the run by a few days.
But the Art Institute of Chicago has done the opposite — delayed the opening of its Roy Lichtenstein exhibition, which was supposed to be tomorrow, thanks to popular demand of its members. Now the opening of Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective is slated for May 22. (The museum is closed May 19-21 because of the NATO summit in Chicago.)
As is usual practice, the Art Institute opened the exhibit of about 160 drawings, paintings and sculptures first to members. But more than 3,000 signed up for the preview opportunities, and lectures, which can accommodate up to 1,000 people, also filled up fast. The three planned days for members had to be stretched.
Could it be that Lichtenstein is that popular? Or did the recent record price at auction, $44.9 million for Sleeping Girl (left), which isn’t in the show, add to the attraction?
One-year memberships cost $80, and offer other opportunities to view the show, like pre-opening hours on weekends.
If you can’t get there, you might try the “explore the exhibition” website the Art Institute has created. Some aspects, like the slider feature showing the relationship between his drawings and paintings, are pretty cool.