Worcester Art Museum updates plans for showcasing Higgins Armory Collection

WORCESTER — The Worcester Art Museum has unveiled updated design plans for its keenly awaited new Arms and Armor Galleries, which it says are under construction and will open in late 2025.

The galleries presenting the Higgins Armory Collection will span approximately 5,000 square feet and make a substantial amount of the entire collection accessible to the public through new installations and an innovative open storage system. The museum said the approximately $6 million project is the culmination of a multiyear initiative to present and preserve the important collection in its home city of Worcester.

Acquired when the world-famous Higgins Armory Museum at 100 Barber Ave. closed in 2013 after 82 years, the Higgins Armory Collection at the museum is the second-largest of its kind in the Americas. Comprising arms, armor and metalwork from around the world and from antiquity to the 19th century, the collection is particularly known for its rare grouping of suits of plate armor from 15th- to 17th-century Europe.

According to an announcement, more than 1,000 objects — from medieval and Renaissance Europe alongside pieces from ancient Greece, Egypt, Japan, India and beyond — will showcase the global and historical breadth of the collection. The new galleries will not only feature the Higgins Collection but also the museum’s arms and armor collection more broadly. However, the Higgins Collection is the core of the Museum’s arms and armor collection. The new galleries will also integrate non-arms artworks that will enhance the narratives and connections across cultures and periods.

'An open, spacious gallery'

Centrally located on the museum’s second floor, the new Arms and Armor Galleries will occupy what was previously the museum’s library space, an area with 16-foot-high ceilings, and the adjacent temporary exhibition space. Together "this will provide an open, spacious gallery for visitors," the announcement said.

Upon entering the front gallery, "audiences will engage with the arms and armor displays that feature star objects in dramatic displays," the museum said. "The rear gallery will provide the look and feel of open storage, giving visitors a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what museums do to preserve and share these objects, and offers spaces for hands-on programming and demonstrations."

“This is a major milestone in the development of our new Arms and Armor Galleries, and on behalf of the museum’s whole team, I am excited to be able to share these design plans with our public,” said Matthias Waschek, the museum’s Jean and Myles McDonough director.

“These objects offer an exception window into the artistry, culture and technology behind arms and armor, and our presentation will place these artifacts in a context that resonates with contemporary issues and underscores our role as a place of learning, inspiration, and profound reflection. I want to thank our many donors to this project, the most significant reshaping of the Worcester Art Museum’s galleries and collections in a decade, and part of our commitment to ensure that this important collection remains in our city,” Waschek said.

New opportunities for visitors

The museum said a major component of its installation plan is to rethink traditional ideas for accessibility in ways that support its "strategic priority of increasing access, equity, inclusivity, and diversity at the museum." That includes deploying a range of interpretive modes to support and engage audiences with an array of interests, learning styles and abilities.

Among these are hands-on, tactile interactives, giving visitors an opportunity to address their curiosity about, for example, the weight and feel of armor; new digital tools that will provide in-depth information on objects in the galleries’ open storage; “static interactives” such as wall maps highlighting key locations for armor production or use; and new approaches to in-gallery seating that provides a relaxing place from which to study the objects.

Currently, the museum has an ongoing program of live interpretation around its arms and armor collection including costumed presentations that feature knights and samurai that the museum said will continue.

"I’m thrilled to be able at last to share our design for the future arms and armor gallery,” said Jeffrey L. Forgeng, Higgins curator of arms and armor and medieval art at the museum. “The team and I have been working for a decade to create a plan that will do justice to the amazing objects in the Higgins Armory Collection. The new galleries will tell a global story that explores the mythic power of these objects in the various cultures that used them, a power that still resonates for visitors whenever they see a suit of armor. Through this custom-designed space, I’m looking forward to offering a powerful experience that will encourage our audiences to indulge their natural curiosity about these objects and feel themselves as part of the museum.”

Remarkable pieces

The museum said among the highlight objects that will be on view are:

Helmet in the Form of a Sea Conch Shell (Japan, 1618): "A remarkable piece likely worn by one of Japan's leading figures during the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, admired for its unique design and exquisite craftsmanship."

Gladiator Helmet (Roman Empire, c. 1st Century C.E.): "Among only three such artifacts in the Americas, this helmet offers a rare glimpse into the dramatic world of Roman Colosseum sports."

Prototype Experimental Helmet Model 2 (United States, 1917): "A testament to the revival of armor design in the 20th century, this helmet is a product of a collaboration between John Woodman Higgins and Met curator Bashford Dean that set Higgins on the path to collecting historical armor."

Pair of Gauntlets for Prince Philip of Spain (Augsburg, 1549–50): "Part of the 'Flowers Garniture,' these gauntlets represent the apex of Renaissance armor craftsmanship, made by one of Europe’s most skilled armorers, decorated by one of the leading armor etchers and worn by one of the most important historical figures of the period."

Bow-case Cover (Ottoman or Mamluk, 1600s): "Reflecting the nomadic heritage of the Turkish peoples, this piece combines luxury with traditional design, illustrating the intersection of culture and utility."

Helmet (Africa, Sudanic Region, 1800s): "Worn by a high-ranking warrior, this helmet showcases the influence of Islamic armor design, distinguished by its exceptional quality and original gold-covered surface."

Mahi Maratib or Fish Standard (Central India, early 1700s): "This striking figure in the shape of a monstrous fish was formerly fitted with a long sleeve of silk that would flutter and snap in the wind as it was carried above the heads of an army during the age of the Mughal Empire."

The museum said the Arms and Armor Galleries is an approximately $6 million capital project for which the museum has raised $5.5 million to date. The museum has also raised an additional $2 million to endow staff positions working on the museum’s arms and armor collections.

The project is part of the museum’s ongoing fundraising campaign, A Bold Step Forward, which seeks to raise $125 million by 2028 to improve and modernize museum facilities, strengthen programming and operations, grow the endowment to ensure long-term financial strength, and allow the museum to connect with new audiences and broaden the narratives told through art. The museum said it is more than halfway toward its goal.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WAM update plans for new Arms and Armor Galleries for Higgins armory