The Ruth R. Marder Center for Matisse Studies, designed by Quinn Evans, opened at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) on December 12, 2021 and serves as a new space dedicated to the study of French artist Henri Matisse. The new addition will shine a spotlight on the largest and most comprehensive collection of works by the artist in a public museum worldwide.
The 2,500-square-foot Marder Matisse Center includes a dedicated exhibition gallery; a study room and library for curators, scholars, and students available by appointment only in Spring 2022; a workspace; offices; and storage. The Center will also host conferences and lectures focused on Matisse and his enduring legacy and provide opportunities for exhibitions, programs, and publication development.
BMA commissioned artist Stanley Whitney, who has long been inspired by Matisse, to create an installation of three large stained-glass windows titled Dance With Me Henri. Also on view, Matisse: The Sinuous Line, is the first installation in a two-part series. This addition activates the space with a glorious play of colored light and reflects the influence of Whitney’s early pilgrimage to the Matisse chapel in the south of France.
With the inauguration of the Marder Matisse Center, we are establishing a new resource that invites research, discovery, and dialogue about Matisse’s significance to art history and his ongoing relevance to contemporary artists,” museum director Christopher Bedford said in a statement.
