Museum Gets Bond Grant

The Wadsworth Atheneum received a $2 million grant from the Connecticut Bond Commission, helping the Hartford art museum launch the second phase of a renovation project.

It has also received an additional $2.5 million in support from foundations and individuals.

When completed in 2014, the museum will feature 8,000 extra square feet of reclaimed gallery space, a 14% increase, as well as the complete reinstallation of its permanent collection.

In addition, the renovation will provide for new interior and exterior signs, and space for commissioned art on the museum exterior.

"This is a major step forward with the fundraising. We're really making all of these galleries that have been closed to the public into state-of-the-art spaces," museum director Susan Talbott told the Hartford Courant.

The commission also approved a $1.5 million grant-in-aid to the city of Hartford for the second phase of Hartford's Front Street development project. The money will pay for lighting and sidewalk construction, and to help create 115 new housing units and retail space.

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Connecticut
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