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The Huntington Art Collections
MaryLou and George Boone Gallery
The opening of the MaryLou and George Boone Gallery in March 2000 marked the unfolding of a new chapter at The Huntington, as the gallery created an important venue for changing exhibitions of American and English art, rare books, and manuscripts. Since its opening, The Huntington has been able to undertake major exhibitions drawn from its own collections and to bring exciting national and international exhibits to Southern California from other museums and study centers.
The building itself has a long history; it was once founder Henry Huntington’s garage, designed in 1911 by architects Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey. It took the commitment, vision, and generosity of MaryLou and George Boone to make the transformation of the space from garage to gallery possible.
Levin and Associates, a Los Angeles-based architectural firm nationally known for large scale restorations and adaptive re-use projects, renovated and restored the original building. It had been designed for Henry Huntington by Los Angeles architects Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey, who were also the architects of the Beaux Arts mansion which is now the Huntington Art Gallery, as well as the Library building. The 7,200 square foot building, located to the northwest of the Virginia Steele Scott Gallery, was completed in 1911 for Mr. Huntington’s fleet of automobiles. Prior to the renovation, the building housed lawn mowers and other garden equipment.
Brenda Levin, FAIA, architect of the Wiltern Theater, Bradbury, Oviatt and Fine Arts buildings renovations, adapted the neoclassical designed structure providing 4,000 square feet of space for use as a changing exhibition gallery.
The exterior of the garage was finished with a new coat of plaster and paint, and badly damaged parts of the concrete balustrade and cornice were repaired and reinforced. Broken glass in the windows was replaced with new glass to match the original panes. Inside, the building was designed to accommodate any number of exhibition configurations; movable walls, multiple electrical outlets, and a lighting system with the ability to illuminate objects anywhere in the room were provided. The gallery is equipped with state-of-the-art emergency power, as well as safety and fire detection systems, and has been wired to accommodate on-line interactive media for future exhibitions.
David Zeidberg, Avery Director of the Library, said, “The gallery is a stunning example of how the generosity of a donor can transform and preserve a magnificent historic landmark. It benefits not only The Huntington, but school children, educators, and the general public, by attracting important material and international exhibitions, thus increasing the cultural offerings within the whole Los Angeles community.”
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