Cincinnati Art Museum reopens with fanfare thanks to Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra performance on June 20

The galleries of the Cincinnati Art Museum have sat silent for nearly 100 days. On June 20, with the trills of a trumpet, buzz of a bassoon and vibrations of a viola, a harmonious homecoming will be heralded outside of the building as visitors will once again be allowed back in.

The museum has been closed since March 14, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And although the museum provided online experiences and virtual content in the meantime, the chance to revisit the artwork in person is something to celebrate.

Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra (CCO) will ring in the museum’s reopening on Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at the museum’s new Art Climb, at the corner of Gilbert Avenue and Eden Park Drive. Spanning a hill nearly as tall as Cincinnati’s Carew Tower, the Art Climb is the museum’s way to activate its grounds through casual and recreational art interactions outside the walls of the museum.

At various landings among the 164 steps, a variety of CCO small ensembles will perform including three quartets (strings, brass and winds) and a trumpet duo. While safely social distancing, visitors are encouraged to start at the bottom of the Art Climb and enjoy brief musical works as they make their way up and down the steps. There will be two full rotations up and down the steps over an hour and a half.

Those who wish to visit the museum before or after the performance are asked to reserve tickets at: cincinnatiartmuseum.org/visit. The Cincinnati Art Museum is taking many precautions to ensure that visitors have a safe visit, including increased cleaning, use of hospital-grade air filtration, posted signs and new policies and procedures.

“We are so excited to have something to celebrate. And the partnership between the museum and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra is something we can toot our horn about,” said Russell Ihrig, Cincinnati Art Museum’s Associate Director of Interpretive Programming.

Cincinnati Art Museum Reopening

Public Hours

Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday, June 21 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Starting June 25: Thursdays from 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fridays through Sundays, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

Member Hours

Thursday, June 18 from 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

Friday, June 19, from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.,

Every Saturday and Sunday from 10–11 a.m.