After being starved of art, I’m dizzy with excitement that museums and galleries are open soon

I used to take these places for granted, I could go any time I wanted. But in these unpredictable times, I will relish every brushstroke up close, writes Charlotte Cripps

Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room exhibit is to reopen at the Tate Modern soon (AFP/Getty)

I literally can’t wait to browse Paula Rego’s magical paintings at Tate Britain. Or David Hockney’s images “painted” on an iPad that celebrate the coming of spring at the Royal Academy.  

What about Raphael’s dreamy paintings at the National Gallery? Even the thought of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms exhibit at the Tate Modern makes me feel dizzy with excitement. I can’t wait to be immersed in their endless reflections. It sounds so much better than a night at the local pub. 

After being starved of art during Covid, England’s public museums and galleries are finally reopening on 17 May.

You can be sure I will be one of the first in the queue. With so many great shows – some that have been postponed or put on hold for months – it’s the golden ticket.

As an arts journalist, it’s also lovely to hear the ping of my email and see a press release from a major museum about an upcoming show again. Although commercial galleries opened their doors on 12 April, we’ve had to put this sector of the arts on hold for far too long. Now we are busy scheduling in art reviews once more. It’s like another piece of normality is back.

Let’s hope with so many of the population vaccinated and infections under control, it remains this way. With social distancing still in place, at least we won’t be bustling with the crowds to view the works. Luckily, it’s a lot more straightforward than international travel; at least there is no traffic light system.

But never has a trip to a museum seemed so refreshing. I used to take it for granted – I could go any time I wanted. But in these unpredictable times, I will relish every brushstroke up close. 

Yours,

Charlotte Cripps

Culture writer