Visitors pass by new fourth-floor windows inside the Spencer Museum of Art Wednesday. New exterior views to the west of the museum were a part of the renovations to the museum.

Been missing the Spencer Museum of Art? Miss no longer.

After being closed a year and a half for an $8 million renovation, the museum reopens to the public on Saturday.

The museum is lighter, sleeker and more open. Among other visible changes, large exterior windows were added in the galleries, one overlooking Marvin Grove and the other facing Mississippi Street.

Grand reopening events are planned from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the museum, 1301 Mississippi St.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring the KU African Drum Ensemble will kick off festivities at 10 a.m. Saturday. Also on Saturday, the KU Department of Dance performs from 1 to 2 p.m., and a specially commissioned traveling concert across campus is planned from 4 to 7 p.m.

Other activities include face painting, hands-on art projects and gallery tours. Find a detailed schedule at spencerart.ku.edu/transformed.

After this weekend the museum returns to being open Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is still free.