Several New York art museums and cultural institutions have closed and banned outdoor sections as record high air quality alerts hit the northeast. A cloud of thick yellow smoke blanketed New England and the tri-state area following the out-of-control wildfires that tore through Canadian forests from coast to coast this week. Last night NYC reported among the worse air quality from any major city in the world; residents are asked to wear masks and limit outdoor activities.
The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City, Queens will be closed today June 7 for the remainder of the afternoon. The Socrates outdoor sculpture park in Queens also closed at 3:30 p.m., citing air quality concerns. The BRIC published a cancellation notice for the opening night of its annual Celebrate Brooklyn! festival, and UrbanGlass farm its downtown Brooklyn facility. Additionally, the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum shared on Twitter which he closed to the public.
Some outdoor art venues are partially closing due to poor air quality. The 9/11 Museum will remain open to visitors, but its memorial will remain shutter to the public. The High Line in Chelsea announced via Twitter that while the section from Gansevoort Street to 23rd Street is still open, the section from 23rd Street to 30th Street has been closed.
Some galleries have also taken the decision to close early. In Manhattan, the Kate Werble Gallery has postponed the opening of its collective exhibition Synth to June 15. “My summer opening will use my outdoor gallery space, and I want to make sure the air quality is good enough for everyone to enjoy the outdoors and feel comfortable,” said Werble. Hyperallergic by email.
Outside New York, the Storm King Art Center in New Windsor has announced its closure by Twitter, advising ticket holders to look for an email regarding a postponement in the near future. Meanwhile, social media is awash with dystopia photographs of tangerine orange hazy skies captured through people’s windows.
This list will be updated as Hyperallergic learns of additional closures.
