Earlier this week New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city has allocated $26.4 million to support the expansion of the Queens Museum.
The money will support the second phase of the museum’s expansion. This phase of the project will include the creation of new classrooms and workshop areas, an intergeneration, multilingual Family Art Lab, new art storage, new back of house offices, and an upgrade to the museum’s HVAC system. These upgrades will allow the museum to accommodate more school trips and contribute to the museum’s creation of a dedicated children’s space. The project will also increase the museum’s energy efficiency.
The Queens Museum completed the first phase of the expansion in November 2013, which included building an additional 50,000 square feet of galleries, event spaces, educational areas, and visitor amenities, and upgrading facilities systems.
In a press release, Mayor Bill de Blasio connected funding for cultural institutions to the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Queens Museum is a world-class institution, and this funding will help them grow and develop their footprint in Queens and throughout the city. Arts and culture are not just the key to our recovery from COVID-19 – they are the key to nurturing the talent, curiosity, and creativity that will keep New York City the most vibrant city in the world,” de Blasio said.