Alex Geldzahler, Contributing Photographer

Multiple works in the Yale Center for British Art were discovered to be damaged after the center’s official re-opening day celebrations on March 29.

YCBA’s communication director, Kristin Dwyer, wrote in an email to the News that a patron had inadvertently bumped into the statue “Mrs. Pinckney and the Emancipated Birds of South Carolina.” The center also removed a nearby sculpture to assess how “the flow of visitors” impacted the placement of the work, according to Dwyer.

According to two YCBA employees, who both requested anonymity, the staff discovered CCTV footage of a young child colliding with the work. In the video, a nearby parent witnesses the damage and flees the scene without notifying museum staff.

“It just all fell apart into multiple pieces,” said the employee. According to another employee, the piece was balanced precariously atop a globe, and the most fragile parts, like a bird and cage, were located at the top and thus fell the farthest.

In an initial email responding to the News, Dwyer wrote that the statue suffered “minor damages” and later stated that a “small piece of the sculpture broke off.” Employees, who were granted anonymity, said that multiple pieces of the sculpture had broken off.

Dwyer also wrote that other museum visitors witnessed the incident and then it was brought to the attention of museum staff, who assessed and cleared the damage.

According to both employees, other damages included marks on paintings left by children’s writing utensils and beverages offered throughout the ceremony. When reached for comment, Dwyer referenced the damage sustained by two sculptures, clarifying that those were not damaged by writing utensils or beverages, but did not provide clarification about damages to paintings.

One of the employees said the YCBA “wasn’t expecting [this level of damage].” 

“They’ve never had a grand re-opening where so many unsupervised children were around, and people blamed them for not having enough security, but their security wasn’t any different than it was before,” they said, adding that it would have been difficult to predict how young children would behave in the museum. “I wouldn’t say that the YCBA was neglectful at all.”

Re-opening festivities spanned the weekend of March 28 with events ranging from kids-focused activities to various a cappella performances. Meanwhile, patrons were encouraged to explore the renovated gallery space and new exhibits featuring artists J.M.W. Turner and Tracy Emin.

Dwyer wrote that Yinka Shonibare, the artist of the damaged sculpture, was “helping to guide the treatment process.” She added that the sculpture will return to view once the repairs are finished and a new display platform is constructed. In a later email, she reaffirmed that “YCBA conservators are working with Yinka Shonibare’s studio to obtain the necessary materials for repair.”

Regarding the damage, one of the employees said that the YCBA was considering if  “they should put age restrictions on coming to the museum.” However, the employee noted, “the [YCBA] has never done that in the past … so I think it’s unlikely that they will actually institute.”

Rowan Cain ’27, a history of art major, spoke to the News about the broader ethos of museum visits and their value for children.

“I think museums are good because they can teach kids to have a little bit of discipline,” said Cain. “When you’re five years old, you have to learn to be quiet and that you can’t just run around a museum drawing on things.”

The Yale Center for British Art has the largest collection of British Art outside the United Kingdom.