Johnson & Wales culinary arts museum to close to the public

Johnson & Wales culinary arts museum to close to the public (Photo by Jeffrey Beall (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0)

The university announced Thursday that the closure will take effect Feb. 27. It is continuing to digitize the museum’s holdings for research and viewing online .

The museum opened in 1989 and is home to more than 200,000 pieces.

A university spokesman says students, faculty and staff need more space to work as teams. They’ll use the museum at the Harbourside campus in Providence as a place to meet and study.

There’s 25,000 square feet of gallery space.

The university’s curriculum has changed in recent years and is now more focused on collaborative learning.