Nassau County Museum of Art closed until March after water main bursts; works by Salvador Dalí, other artists are safe

The Nassau County Museum of Art will be closed until March 21 after a water main dedicated to its fire suppression sprinkler system burst earlier this month, flooding a subbasement but not damaging any artwork.

Museum executive director Beth Horn said the incident occurred Feb. 9 amid a stretch of subfreezing temperatures and subzero wind chills, and said the sprinkler system damage forced the early closure of a major exhibition called, "Real, Surreal, and Photoreal." The exhibit, which opened in November, was originally slated to close on March 8.

The museum is on the grounds of the former Frances and Childs Frick "Clayton" estate, a 145-acre property on the William Cullen Bryant Preserve in Roslyn Harbor. The mansion, originally called Bryce House, was built by former U.S. ambassador and editor of the North American Review Lloyd Stephens Bryce and completed in 1897.

"We discovered water literally bursting out of the fire sprinkler system submain," Horn said. "Water was literally filling the subbasement and it rushed in so quickly and filled the area that by the time we saw it already was 6 feet deep."

Horn said the museum notified the Nassau County Department of Public Works, which she said had crews on scene immediately. The system was shut down and the water pumped out within hours, Horn said.

A system check found another pipe buried in the front lawn of the estate was also damaged and in need of replacement, Horn said. The mansion itself was not damaged, she said, noting the ongoing work is repair work — not construction.

Because the submain feeding the sprinkler system was damaged, Horn said fire marshals closed the mansion until those repairs can be completed and the system upgrades checked for code.

That meant the museum staff needed to cancel a handful of events.

One, was a Valentine's Day performance by songwriter Jimmy Webb. School visits to the museum also were canceled — though Horn said staff was able to pivot on that, creating programs presented to students at schools instead.

The biggest adjustment, though, was the early closure of the "Real, Surreal, and Photoreal" exhibit, which featured works by Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, John Currin, Fairfield Porter, John French Sloan, William James Glackens, Alex Katz and sculpture by Long Island native Carole A. Feuerman. That show had more than 100 pieces of artwork from 40 lenders, Horn said.

"Just as a precaution, we dismantled the exhibition," Horn said. "The removal involved reaching out to art handlers, a shipping company, calling every lender — then getting the works packed, shipped and brought to a temporary storage site. ... The exhibition had another four weeks to run, so we were very disappointed."

While the mansion remains closed, the museum notes the outdoor sculpture park, conifer arboretum and trails on the grounds remain open and classes and workshops ongoing at the Manes Art Education Center on the grounds.