Andover residents Nancy Varnum and Thea Shapiro were waiting outside the Addison Gallery of American Art on Tuesday morning. The museum has been shuttered more than two years for a renovation and expansion project, and they weren't going to wait another day to see it again.
So when Director Brian Allen opened the doors for the first time since July 2008, Varnum and Shapiro were the first people in the door.
"This is Andover's jewel. This is one of the things that attracted me to move to the town," said Shapiro.
Varnum, who's been coming to the Addison since her junior high days, noticed works by favorite artists Arthur Dove and Marsden Hartley in the first gallery she entered.
"I've been waiting a long time to see this collection back up," she said.
The current exhibit, "Inside, Outside, Upstairs, Downstairs: the Addison Anew" features old favorites and new works purchased during the museum's closure. Among the new items is a mixed media piece by Mark Bradford that Allen believes "will be one of the great things to come into the collection during my time here." Another new work exhibited is two paintings of a bridge by the Hudson River by Rackstraw Downes that are considered one work of art.
"The week after we purchased them, both artists (Bradford and Downes) received the MacArthur genius grants and I thought, 'We're really onto something,'" said Allen.
Residents can view the works for free on Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. A reopening party is planned for Saturday, Sept. 25. The new museum offers a large library and museum learning center open to the public.
Tuesday's reopening attracted both Phillips Academy educators and local residents during its first hour. Sergio Pinecross of North Andover, another of the first visitors to the museum, said he comes to the Addison about six times a year. But he brought a guest who had never seen the gallery before - his niece Isabella, age 4.
Seconds after Varnum and Shapiro entered the building, a seemingly excited head of school, Barbara Chase, bounded up the stairs.
"I'm thrilled to be here and I think the uniqueness of this institution within an institution (is it allows Phillips) to be able to connect to the students and connect to the community," she said. "It's really a great resource and a privilege to have this and I'm glad to be able to share this with so many people."
The Addison Gallery became the first museum devoted entirely to American art when it opened in 1931, and now has more than 16,000 works. It is located on the Phillips Academy campus off Chapel Avenue and can be seen from Route 28.
