Around the turn of the year, the Einar Jónsson Museum and the National Gallery of Iceland were formally merged with the goal of strengthening operations and services to the public, thereby achieving better use of public funds. The position of director of the Einar Jónsson Museum was eliminated, but two full-time employees transferred to the National Gallery of Iceland, along with the reception staff. the former museum board will take on a new role overseeing the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum's endowment fund and advising the National Gallery of Iceland. With the merger, the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum will no longer be a recognized museum, but will fall under the National Gallery of Iceland, which is the parent institution.
This merger has been in the works for the past year, and the Ministry of Culture, Innovation, and Higher Education has led that work. Logi Einarsson, Minister of Culture, Innovation, and Higher Education, says:
„It is a cause for celebration that the combined museum can welcome more visitors by increasing the hours that the nation's cultural treasures are on display. The merger also offers the opportunity for improved conservation, strengthened infrastructure through shared operations, and enhanced outreach and educational programs, which have in fact already begun, as the museum's program demonstrates. There are also plans to improve access to the sculpture park from the museum, thereby better reaching the thousands of visitors who visit the park each year.”.
The collection was a gift from Einar to the Icelandic state, and the Einar Jónsson Museum of Sculpture was dedicated on Midsummer's Day, June 24, 1923, and therefore Centennial a short while ago. The museum, named Hnitbjörg, was the first building erected specifically as a museum for Icelandic art in the country. The museum was designed by Einar himself, together with architect Einar Erlendsson, and adjacent to the museum is a sculpture park that houses numerous bronze casts of Einar's works.
„We are very enthusiastic about merging these two collections. I am sure that the collections will both be strengthened and that the art will have a stronger voice in the community.“, says Ingibjörg Jóhannsdóttir, director of the National Gallery of Iceland.
On January 6th, this merger milestone was celebrated, and a Thirteenth party was held at the museum.
„We want to better reach the public and students of all ages, but the museums also need to be an exciting option for international visitors. With increased support, we can extend the opening hours at the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum and then welcome more visitors to the museum. Two million tourists visit the square in front of Hallgrímskirkja every year—just a stone's throw from this national treasure that the museum is. Einar's works are intriguing, and the museum is a unique place that offers a glimpse into another world,” says Ingibjörg Jóhannsdóttir.