Academy Museum under construction

Source: Oscars.org

Academy Museum under construction

The opening of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles has once again been pushed back, this time to September 30, 2021. 

The Academy Museum put the shift down to “rising virus infection rates, museums remaining closed, and continued restrictions on public gatherings in Los Angeles.” 

The museum had most recently been set to open on April 30 next year, soon after the April 25 Oscar ceremony, itself pushed back by the coronavirus pandemic. 

The museum passed its fundraising goal last month, but by then delays had already pushed its planned opening back from 2019. At this year’s Oscar ceremony in February a planned opening date of December 14 was revealed. 

Announcing the latest delay, museum director and president Bill Kramer said in a statement: “We are putting the final touches on our stunning exhibitions and public spaces, and while we were ready and eager to welcome visitors in the spring, with the current surge of Covid-19, it would be irresponsible to maintain an April opening. We know a new day is coming for us all, and when it does, the Academy museum will be ready to offer our visitors the remarkable experience we have all been wanting.” 

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who is serving as chair of the museum’s board of trustees, added: “Despite the many challenges of 2020, the museum has accomplished a great deal this year: completing its pre-opening fundraising campaign, obtaining LEED Gold certification, and the installation of exceptional exhibitions. We are fortunate to have one of the world’s most exciting new cultural institutions ready to go. Now it’s just a matter of patience, for all of us, as we look ahead to opening our doors on September 30.”