The Museum of Anthropology is reopening after 18 months of renos

by V. S. Wells on April 30th, 2024 at 2:18 PM

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Seventy-five years after it first opened its doors, the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC is set to return from its hiatus this June.

The iconic museum has been closed since January 2023 as part of ongoing seismic upgrades, which involved completely rebuilding the whole edifice. So now, the building’s visitors—and all the priceless cultural artifacts housed within—will hopefully be much safer from earthquakes.

“We’ve waited so long to welcome back visitors from around the world to MOA this summer,” says museum director Susan Rowley in a statement. “Over the past 18 months, MOA’s Great Hall has experienced monumental changes—some visible, some not, but all for a stronger future.”

Original architect Arthur Erickson’s 1976 design has been meticulously recreated, but with an eye for increased safety. Each of the 25 hulking concrete columns in the main gallery have had base isolators installed under each of them, and the Great Hall has been separated from the rest of the museum and the ground to help limit any potential damage in case of a quake.

Other new additions include structural upgrades to the roof, window coverings, and fire protection; as well as updates to the museum’s displays and interpretations, including a huge canoe carved by Stz’uminus artist Qap’u’luq (John Marston).

“Importantly, the displays in the Great Hall and other other gallery spaces have been revitalized and reinterpreted, in collaboration with First Nations communities and families whose objects and belongings are housed at the museum,” Rowley continues. “The completion of the seismic upgrades ensures the preservation and safety of this cultural heritage for future generations.”

Coinciding with the reopening on June 13, MOA will be presenting two new exhibitions. To be seen, to be heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965 is a multimedia world premiere, exploring how Indigenous people in BC fought cultural erasure in urban spaces. And in Pursuit of Venus [infected], by Māori artist Lisa Reihana, a 32-minute video projection disrupts colonial ideals of harmony with the realities of violence and oppression.

On reopening day, admission will be free all evening. June 14, the 100th anniversary of Arthur Erickson’s birth, will have half-price admission and special programming; meanwhile, June 15 and 16 will also see reduced entry fees, as well as performances, workshops, tours, and family-oriented activities.

More events are planned as the year progresses, celebrating 75 years since the museum first opened in the UBC Main Library in 1949.