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Community celebrates BAM's move out of Bancroft Way building

By Carol Ness

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During the holiday break, the Berkeley Art Museum moved out of the striking Bancroft Way building that’s been its home since 1970. And it left with the style and panache that the Berkeley community has grown accustomed to through 44 years of art exhibitions, ahead-of-its time programming and events staged there.

People of all ages gathered at the old space to pay their respects just before Christmas, when BAM held a full day of events before leading an end-of-day procession down Bancroft and north on Oxford to its new digs at Oxford and Center streets. Renovation of the new space — the old UC printing plant — is well underway and the new BAM/PFA will open in a year, of all goes as planned.

Berkeleyside was there to capture the festivities and recap the building’s history. No longer useful as a museum because of seismic concerns, the building will take on another university use once it’s strengthened.

While the galleries at the old BAM site are closed, the museum store and Babette cafe remain open and films are still being screened at the PFA site nearby. Details are posted on the BAM/PFA website . You can also watch a time-lapse video of the construction of the new building.

The full Berkeleyside account of the museums closing celebration is posted here .