The Indianapolis Museum of Art will close Jan. 3 to prepare for the museum’s re-opening, which begins May 6, 2005, and continues through 2006.

The IMA has embarked on a comprehensive expansion project that will create diverse new interior and exterior spaces in which to present its nationally recognized collections, and will enhance the IMA’s public programming and outreach. Plans include the creation of three new museum wings, 50 percent more gallery space, an outdoor garden court, expanded educational and family facilities and new visitor amenities.

The building project is one aspect of a larger expansion initiative currently underway at the IMA. This includes the development of the 100-acre Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, the completed restoration of Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens and the enhancement of the IMA’s grounds. The initiative has also led to major additions to the IMA’s collections and will significantly increase its art acquisition and operating endowments.

After the museum closes, visitors can still tour the Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens, the IMA’s historic house museum and 26-acre estate. Lilly House will be open Wednesday through Sunday.

Before the museum closes, there are some exhibits worth catching: Degas’ “The Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen,” Giovanni Bellini and the Art of Devotion, work by artist-lithographer Bolton Brown and “Christmas at Lilly House” will be on view through Jan. 2.

For more information: 923-1331, www.ima-art.org.