Development
A museum dedicated to the Philadelphia–born sculptor Alexander Calder was first proposed by mayor Ed Rendell in 1998 as a collaboration between the city and the Calder Foundation, the family–run nonprofit which manages Calder's estate. Planning and fundraising commenced and a city–owned site was set aside on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway; [1] a number of works by the artist were installed outdoors on the site in 2002 and 2004 and became known as the Calder Garden. [2] Despite this, the project stalled and was announced as canceled in 2005, [1] and the sculptures installed on the site were removed in 2009. [2]
In the late 2010s, philanthropists in the city approached the foundation to propose restarting the project. [3] Alexander S.C. Rower, Calder's grandson and the president of the foundation, said that he told supporters he did not want to build a traditional museum, instead envisioning "a place that’s meant for introspection, where you can be with art." [4] The new project was announced in early 2020 with architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron chosen to design the building, [3] with an original budget of $40 million. Businessman Joseph Neubauer and the Neubauer Family Foundation, key supporters of reviving the project, contributed a significant amount of funding, [5] along with other private donors and foundations including The Pew Charitable Trusts and grants from the city and state. [6] [7] The schedule was soon delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. [1]
In 2022 the foundation revealed renderings of the museum design, featuring structures heavily integrated into the site's landscape, [6] and announced that the gardens would be designed by Piet Oudolf along with landscape architect Richard Herbert. [7] By this point, the budget was raised to $70 million. [5] Construction was set to begin the same year with a projected opening date of early 2024, but the work was delayed until 2023 to allow the city to reroute a water main on the site. [8]
In early 2025, the museum announced an adjusted opening date of Fall 2025 and appointed senior curatorial leadership, naming curator Juana Berrío as senior director of programs. [9] [10] The final budget for the museum was close to $100 million, with a total contribution of $20 million from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. [5]
Opening and operations
The museum officially opened in September 2025. [11] The primary ongoing exhibition at the museum is a rotating installation of works by Calder from throughout his career. [12]
Museum leadership decided not to include explanatory wall texts or other didactic information in the museum, instead directing visitors to learn more about Calder via online sources. [5] [12] [13] Rower and other museum leaders have said the institution hopes to emphasize the experience of viewing Calder's art in a tranquil setting, rather than foregrounding historical information about the artist or academic analyses of his art. [14] [15]
