DeCordova galleries to remain closed for two more years

The galleries inside the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum — closed for extensive HVAC renovations in 2023 and originally slated to reopen after two to three years — will now remain shuttered until 2028 as the organization works through major structural changes.

“We look forward to improving climate control in our gallery spaces, devising new, creative ways of integrating indoor and outdoor locations, and enhancing educational and community spaces,” said the invitation to the deCordova’s annual fundraising gala on May 9 in describing future plans.

“DeCordova and the Trustees have experienced significant change since 2023 that has prepared us for this moment,” D.A. Hayden, vice president for the MetroWest region, said in an email to the Lincoln Squirrel. In June of that year, the organization named Katie Theoharides (who served as the state Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs under Gov. Charlie Baker from 2019–22) as its president and CEO.

The Trustees laid off 10% of its staff in February 2024 to address “an ongoing multimillion-dollar structural deficit,” according to several news reports. The organization then “restructured… shifting to a regional model,” Hayden said, which apparently means organizing staff, resources, and stewardship efforts into specific geographic regions across Massachusetts rather than managing each of their  properties in isolation. The Trustees owns and manages about 27,000 acres on 122 reservations in Massachusetts and holds conservation restrictions on another 410 parcels totaling 20,500 acres

At the deCordova, The Trustees promoted Sarah Montross to museum director and chief curator  while also launching a new five-year strategic plan in 2025. Montross has worked at the deCordova since 2015, advancing through a succession of curator roles.

“The launch of the strategic plan gave us an opportunity to step back and look at deCordova in a more holistic manner,” Hayden said. “Rather than focusing simply on HVAC in a building, we looked at how to update our facilities while also focusing on targeted improvement to our campus for visitor experience. Elevating stewardship of our land and buildings is a key pillar of the strategic plan, as is inspiring climate hope and welcoming and connecting people.”

The current plan is to begin inside construction in the winter of 2026-27, with galleries to open to the public in spring 2028. “This work will not expand the existing footprint of the building; rather it will improve how these spaces function for art and people. We look forward to building improvements which share the beauty of the outdoors with the indoor spaces,” Hayden said.

The building is open for visitor programs including the Rappaport Art Prize lecture and Cronin lecture, and it also continues to host private events and operate a retail store and cafe in separate buildings.