Flooding prompts closure of NHCC Art Museum

The National Hispanic Cultural Center Art Museum is closed to the public due to flooding.

According to the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, a water leak occurred in a fire maintenance room Monday afternoon.

“It didn’t get past more than 2 inches” deep, department spokesman Daniel Zillmann said. “It did get to most parts of the building. The staff was still there and reacted quickly to turn it off.”

Zillmann said crews have been working to identify the cause and assess the damage. He said the team is making sure there isn’t humidity damage to any of the artwork.

“We hope to have a scope of damage in the next couple of days,” he said.

The NHCC Art Museum will remain closed until the area is cleaned up.

On Sunday, the Roy E. Disney Performing Arts Center at the NHCC also had a leak, in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

“Security and facilities teams were there to address it, and it was contained to a hallway that is concrete and tile,” Zillmann said. “The space was empty because everyone works remotely and it is closed to the public. It is cleaned up, and an adjuster is currently assessing it all.”

In March 2019, the Performing Arts Center was closed after a fire and ensuing flood caused more than $1 million damage.