The Broad Art Museum’s Art Lab in East Lansing has shut down.
The Art Lab was always planned as a five-year experiment across from the museum on Grand River Avenue. That closing has been moved up from later this year.
Museum executive director Monica Ramirez-Montagut says the goal of engaging the local community was met, despite the pandemic, with more than 25,000 visitors at the Art Lab since 2018.
“So the only thing that we did was close it a little bit early because of the pandemic impact on everyone’s budgets and lost earned revenue that we were suffering,” she said.
Ramirez-Montagut says the Art Lab’s mission was connecting people with the arts.
“Always with the vehicle of the arts, and have them become familiar with us and have us reassure them that we’re a welcoming institution, that fantastic things happen across the street, and in that sense, all those objectives were met.”
Ramirez-Montagut adds that COVID restrictions at the museum on Michigan State University's campus are easing, and outreach activities will continue there.
The museum will continue to work with the city to hold outreach events around East Lansing.
