Renovation of the museum’s main entrance and lower lobby began this month, with the aim of streamlining the guest experience and better accomodating the community.
The Cleveland Museum of Art attracted about 500,000 visitors in 2005, the same year it began a $320 million expansion that eventually doubled its exhibition space. New programming and presentations have increased attendance, to the tune of 650,000 guests last year and 685,000 thus far in 2024.
A surge in attendees also created a problem, albeit a good one, said CMA chief marketing officer Todd Mesek. Put simply, the museum’s lobbies became congested, creating pinch points for larger crowds and negatively impacting the visitor experience.
CMA’s lobby dilemma now has a solution, thanks to a pending $8 million renovation of two well-trafficked spaces – the main entrance on East Boulevard and a lobby area on the facility’s lower level.
“Knowing traffic patterns changed because of the initial expansion, we wanted to make sure we’re putting our audience at the center of the conversation,” said Mesek.
Ideally, the reconfigured spaces will deepen guest engagement, create new educational opportunities, and better utilize the museum’s overall growth, Mesek added. For example, a digital wayfinding display will replace the current ticketing desk in the upper lobby, giving visitors an easy-to-read guide of daily tours, art rotations and new exhibitions.
Further modifications include LED lighting and streamlined security systems, with a new art installation transitioning visitors from the outdoors into a realm of beauty and creativity.
“Everything will stay open during the renovations, which has always been the focus,” said Mesek. “As we bring more people through our doors, we want the initial experience to be welcoming, positive and efficient.”
Meanwhile, the lower lobby will become a multi-disciplinary learning space for student groups and other large tours, complete with a coat check and dedicated reception area. Changes will emphasize an Education Art Collection composed of 10,000 cultural heritage objects – the update will further build upon a CMA tradition of making art accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences, Mesek said.
Construction of both spaces, which began in early May, is scheduled for completion at the end of October. The work will not alter the lobby entrances’ brutalist style, as designed by Hungarian-American architect Marcel Breuer.
“There are two important guiding principles for the lobby renovation,” said CMA director and president William Griswold in a press release in April. “The first is to respect and preserve Breuer’s historic, architecturally significant design. The second is to address the needs of our guests. With this project, the CMA looks to the future, while staying true to and respecting the past.”
Museum board chair Ellen Stirn Mavec spearheaded the plan’s $8 million gift, through leadership challenge dollars from The Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation. Additional foundation contributions along with funding from the State of Ohio’s capital budget further bolstered the project.
Mesek views the lobby upgrades as the final piece of CMA’s mid-aughts renovation efforts. Drawing 100,000 students annually is only one goal for a Cleveland institution that exists to spark curiosity and inspire exploration, he said.
“What we know from visitors and the trends that we’ve seen, it’s about meeting those needs now while preparing for growth,” said Mesek. “We’re paying off (with these upgrades) what we’ve already done.”
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