Sorry, But You Won't Be Able to Visit the MoMA This Summer

Bad news for art aficionados — and tourists — alike: The Museum of Modern Art will close for renovations this summer.

The museum is in the midst of a $400 million overhaul, and as it finishes up the final stages, it will close its doors from June 15 to Oct. 21. It's hoping the temporary closure will create a new museum that completely rethinks the way modern art is presented. During the closure, workers will reconfigure the galleries and rehang the entire collection. It previously used a discipline-based display system for the past eight decades.

While the museum will be leaving some of its most famous works like van Gogh's "Starry Night" and Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," MoMA will be adding works by women, Latinos, Asians, African Americans and other overlooked artists, according to the New York Times — so there's definitely some good news to note here.

In addition, it is planning on rotating art in its galleries every six to nine months, with the thinking that there is no single or complete history of modern art. Because the art is rotating so regularly, 30% of the galleries will have changed in a year, and "the entire gallery space will have been re-choreographed by 2022." It doesn't stop there, either: MoMA is partnering with the Studio Museum in Harlem while its building on 125th Street is under construction to allow it to present exhibitions at MoMA's midtown location.

In the meantime, NYC & Company's president and chief executive, Fred Dixon, doesn't think that there will be "any negative tourism impact" because so much will be on offer. When MoMA reopens, it will extend its hours to open at 10am and close at 9pm the first Thursday of every month. There will also be a reconfigured store.

Here's to the next chapter of the MoMA.