The Frick Collection is banking on a familiar face—and a dry wit—to help draw crowds to its newly revamped Fifth Avenue home.

In a new video posted on the museum’s website and social media channels, comedian and art collector Steve Martin serves as a wry guide through the institution’s gilded halls, offering a humorous take on centuries-old masterpieces and the storied, sometimes controversial, legacy of steel baron Henry Clay Frick, the museum’s founder.

“Consider what you or I might be drawn to on any given day at the Frick Collection,” Martin muses, as the camera pans over lavish interiors and fine art. Among his observations: a 15th-century Hercules sculpture with a gilded beard that Martin seems particularly taken by. The tone is light, but the setting remains unmistakably grand.

The museum reopened in April after a five-year, $220 million renovation, during which it temporarily relocated to the Marcel Breuer-designed former Whitney Museum building on Madison Avenue. Since returning to its historic mansion, the Frick has welcomed more than 231,000 visitors—a notable rebound for the institution, which had seen diminished foot traffic in recent years.

The campaign with Martin, whose own art credentials include a stint curating at the Hammer Museum and co-authoring a book on American painter Lawren Harris, is part of a broader push to make the Frick feel more approachable without compromising its old-world gravitas.

Whether visitors come for the Rembrandts or the repartee, the Frick appears to have found a winning combination: old masters and a modern master of comedy.

The post Steve Martin Lends Star Power—and Laughs—to Frick Collection’s $220 Million Makeover appeared first on citybiz.

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