THE JUMP
ARTS & CULTURE
THIS OLD HOUSE
The Taft Museum of Art launches a historic renovation for an iconic building.
—ELIZABETH MILLER WOOD
The Taft Museum of Art was never intended to be a museum. Built around 1820, it was born to be a regal residence, which it was for over a century until the Taft family bequeathed it to the people of Cincinnati in 1927. Today, the 200-year-old wooden house— Cincinnati’s oldest still in its original location—is a living piece of art that havens a beloved
collection. Names like Rembrandt, Goya, Gainsborough, and Duncanson grace its walls. Despite scrupulous care, though, the antique dwelling has long struggled to maintain museum standards for temperature and humidity, threatening the integrity of the delicate works within. “We do our best, but the alarms go off all the time,” says Deborah
Scott, CEO of the Taft since 2009. A 2015 audit confirmed what was already suspected: Urgent renovations were required to preserve the National Historic Landmark and its works. The resulting Bicentennial Infrastructure Project, announced alongside the Taft’s 200th birthday, targets $12.7 million toward replacing the HVAC system, overhaul-
ing visitor information, upgrading fire and security systems, and deep structural repairs to the windows, shutters, roof, and chimneys. Every exterior board, most of which are original, will be removed, inspected, and salvaged where possible. Construction broke ground on July 30 and aims to conclude by February 2022, with the historic house reopening in June 2022. While under construction, visitors can view the special exhibit In a New Light, which features 80 collection works given new, modernized interpretations. Visitors can also experience the Taft’s collection through Borrowed Gems, a temporary exhibit of 40 works on loan at the Cincinnati Museum Center. Amid the dust, meticulous precautions are being taken to protect the museum’s un-
movable features. Vibration monitors were installed to protect the home’s eight Duncanson landscape murals, and a makeshift hanging room keeps the original draperies unfolded and away from construction. Funding the mammoth project is the Love This House campaign, a mix of public and grant funds that had raised $10.7 million at time of print, with plenty of room left for public participation. In addition to the suggested $10 donation for museum visitors, patrons can also join the $2,020 Club, a multi-year pledge paid over
five years. Scott notes that while the Taft Museum’s success is crucial to the city’s culture, it’s also an undeniable cog for commerce. “If you’re recruiting, you’d better bet that a strong art scene is a feather in your cap, and I know there are CEOs who bring potential candidates to the Taft,” says Scott, whose recent retirement announcement for summer 2022 will arrive on the heels of the project’s completion. “I feel like finishing this project is the right time [to retire], and I will look back as having had an opportunity of a lifetime.”
CEO Deborah Scott says the Taft Museum’s structural repairs, long overdue, are “the opportunity of a lifetime” for her team.
20 REALM FALL 2021
P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E SY T H E TA F T M U S E U M O F A R T
