Crystal Bridges museum to close for redesign

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas' Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is closing its early-American art galleries for two months to redesign the space for the first time since opening in 2011.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the museum announced the temporary closure on Tuesday.
Executive Director Rod Bigelow says the Colonial to Early 19th Century and Late 19th Century galleries will be inaccessible to guests from Jan. 9 to March 16 as the museum "continues to rethink how American art is presented."
Curator Mindy Besaw says the redesign has been a two-year project. She says museum officials hope to be more inclusive and to help visitors address the complexities of American art and history.