What to Know
- Some of the San Marino landmark's galleries will reopen on April 17
- The restoration of "The Blue Boy" was completed just ahead of the closure of The Huntington's indoor spaces in March 2020
- The property's outdoor areas are currently open (and will remain open)
The unveiling of artist Thomas Gainsborough's "The Blue Boy," following a major restoration effort, was set to be one of the major events of Southern California's 2020 art calendar.
The celebrated 18th-century painting, certainly one of the most talked-about and best-known masterpieces to make a home at the masterpiece-filled Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, was due to return to much-anticipated view near the end of March 2020.
That, of course, wasn't to be. Regional museums, including The Huntington's gallery spaces, closed as a safety measure in the face of the pandemic.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
The airy property's 120-acre outdoor expanse has been open for strolling, sunshine, and the enjoyment of fresh air, but the gallery-based paintings and sculptures, including the newly restored "The Blue Boy," have remained out of the public eye.
That will change on April 17, when "select galleries" will again open, including the one housing the Gainsborough painting.
The Huntington made that announcement on March 18, in a week that's seen several Southern California cultural institutions reveal their reopening plans.
"Made in L.A. 2020: a version" will also go on display on reopening day.
As for the "three distinct gallery spaces" that will again welcome visitors?
Guests can expect to call upon "... the first floor of the Huntington Art Gallery, and the galleries where 'Made in L.A. 2020' is on display — in the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery and a portion of the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art."
"Planning for the reopening of other galleries at The Huntington, including the Library Exhibition Hall, is underway," states a news release.
Advance tickets are a must, and knowing what to expect safety-wise, from face coverings to social distancing, is essential, too.
You can read all at The Huntington's site, as well as what is blooming, too, as spring 2021 arrives.
