The Studio Museum in Harlem will remain closed through February 7 to work on repairs related to a “sprinkler emergency” that forced visitors to evacuate on Friday.
As first reported by Hyperallergic, visitors were instructed to leave after water began pouring from a ceiling near the gift shop.
“We saw a large pool of water on the floor near the entrance, and saw the water flowing down in the store,” a witness told the publication. The museum initially announced a weekend-long closure; however, the sprinkler situation evidently required more extensive maintenance.
A spokesperson for the Studio Museum said a sprinkler was damaged during preparations for a weekend storm that ultimately dropped a record-breaking 11 inches of snow on Manhattan and sent temperatures plunging into the teens. “No artworks or galleries were affected,” the spokesperson. Video footage posted by a visitor shows water flowing onto gift-shop shelves that had been emptied. The closure comes at an inauspicious moment for the museum, which only reopened in November in a high-profile new home designed by David Adjaye’s Adjaye Associates.
“All programs and events will be cancelled,” the Studio Museum announced today, adding that ticketholders will be refunded for visits planned between Wednesday, January 28 and Friday, February 6.
“We apologize in advance for any inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you back to the Museum,” the statement ended.
