Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Here at the Harvard Art Museums, we have been heartened to see some of our peer institutions reopen and begin to bring visitors back in safe, limited ways. As a part of the Harvard community, we are supporting the university’s careful efforts to limit the number of people on campus this fall. As you may have read, Harvard has a much smaller percentage of its student body on campus this fall than usual, and classes are being conducted remotely. Thus the Harvard Art Museums will remain closed to the public until at least December 31, 2020, in alignment with the university’s safety planning.

Our doors may be closed, but we are still very much here for you. Since March, we have developed an extensive range of online offerings—and we have even more planned for the fall. You can find our live events, programs, videos, articles, staff picks, learning opportunities, collections highlights, and creative inspiration in this one convenient spot: Harvard Art Museums from Home. The team at the Harvard Art Museums hopes you will continue to help us build an online community. While we know virtual resources cannot take the place of experiencing the collections in person, they are nevertheless powerful in their own right and accessible to all, whether near or far.

Over the summer, in accordance with recent university protocols, we developed plans for a phased return to onsite work and an eventual reopening of the museums. We write now to share an update on those plans. The majority of museum staff will continue working remotely through at least the end of this calendar year; limited staff will be cleared to return onsite in late September for high-priority projects that can be undertaken safely, including those in the following categories: research; remote teaching; new acquisitions; conservation; object photography; staff training; limited gallery installations; building modifications; and work related to the eventual ramp up to reopening.

As we have all learned, the nature of the situation in which we find ourselves is ever evolving. We will need to use the next few months to monitor the state of the pandemic and our ability to reopen safely to students and the public after the start of the new year, pending university approval and guidance.

As we head into a new academic year like no other, we recognize how challenging it is to live with so many unknowns, not to mention our continued remoteness from the things that have always inspired us—the museums, the collections, and each other. We hope you and your loved ones are well, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the museums as soon as it is safe for the entire community. As always, thank you for your support, continued patience, and understanding as we navigate these uncertain times together with the health of students, staff, faculty, community neighbors, and visitors as our top priority.

Be well and please stay tuned,



Martha Tedeschi
Elizabeth and John Moors Cabot Director
Harvard Art Museums