Museum gallery lighting project enters final phase

The Columbia Museum of Art is entering the final phase of its sweeping gallery lighting renovation, a visionary project that began January 21, 2025. Coinciding with the museum’s milestone 75th anniversary year, this legacy initiative culminates on January 16, 2026, with the CMA Gala, a spectacular celebration unveiling the newly reimagined CMA Collection and capping off a year of reflection, innovation, and joy.

The museum’s previous gallery lighting system, installed in 1998 when the CMA first opened its doors on Main Street, had long outlived its prime. To best preserve and showcase the art on view, the CMA embarked on a bold journey to completely overhaul its gallery lighting — closing all galleries and carefully storing all art for safety.

First-floor galleries reopened in May, and visitors were welcomed into refreshed spaces featuring cutting-edge LED lighting, sleek new ceilings, and fortified walls. These galleries remain open, with vibrant fall exhibition Keith Haring: Radiant Vision currently on view.

With second-floor construction wrapping up, the CMA is diving into the final and most thrilling phase of the project — reinstalling all 20 galleries devoted to the CMA Collection. The museum has taken this opportunity to completely rethink how its collection is presented, from gallery layouts and featured works to interpretive storytelling and visitor experience.

The new galleries will be revealed for the first time at the CMA Gala, where the museum’s past meets its future in a celebration of light, legacy, and limitless possibility.

“All year we’ve been building up to this moment — physically and artistically,” says CMA Executive Director Della Watkins. “We look forward to celebrating the culmination of this lighting project and the CMA’s 75th anniversary this January 16, and we can’t wait for visitors to experience their museum in a brand-new light!”