Museum of the Moving Image to Close for Construction

Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image will close down for "several months" for renovations starting March 23. Bummer. Where else can one stare at Bill Cosby's sweaters or make their own stop-motion animation movie with plastic polar bears? When complete, the new museum building will feature a 262-seat theater, a 71-seat screening room, an education center, expanded gallery space and a courtyard. Museum director Rochelle Slovin told Reuters that construction will cause "a huge amount of vibration and noise." She added, "It would not be a good idea to have the public in the building at that time." Members will still have access to screenings and programs, which will now be spread around Manhattan, including a monthly program at the Times Center. The museum will have a grand reopening at the end of 2009. Until then, the "Making of Gumby" will just have to wait.