Second immersive Van Gogh art exhibit delayed again

A new immersive Van Gogh experience that was supposed to open next week after being delayed last fall has been postponed again.

In an email to ticketholders Thursday, producer Corey Ross of "Immersive Van Gogh Detroit" said the exhibit will now open May 12 and run until Sept. 5 inside a venue formerly known as the Harmonie Club Building on East Grand River in Detroit. He attributed the latest delay to challenges caused by the Omicron variant.

"We truly understand your frustration and disappointment," wrote Ross in the email. "We are eager to to share our incredible immersive experience with you, but want to guarantee the best possible experience that we can."

Metro Detroit art lovers have been anxiously awaiting details on the new immersive Van Gogh exhibit, which will feature digital projections of the Dutch painter's famous art such as "The Starry Night." "Immersive Van Gogh Detroit" — which had kept its location in Detroit under wraps until now — is being presented by Lighthouse Immersive, The production company that has done the same immersive Van Gogh experience in more than a dozen cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

Created by Massimiliano Siccardi, an Italian film producer, the exhibit bills itself as the "original" immersive Van Gogh Experience.

In October, Ross announced that Tony Award-winning set designer David Korins, who worked on Broadway hits "Hamilton" and "Dear Evan Hansen," had joined his artistic team to create "one of a kind experiential and visual elements" for the exhibit.

The Detroit location, the 38,000-square-foot former Harmonie Club building, will be "transformed into a space where art comes to life," said Ross.

Ross said as a thank you to ticketholders for their understanding amid the latest postponement, each customer will also receive free tickets to Immersive Klimt, a future show featuring the art of Gustav Klimt.

"Immersive Van Gogh Detroit" was originally supposed to open in late October just days after a separate Van Gogh experience, "Beyond Van Gogh," created by a Montreal-based production company, closed at the TCF Center. That show drew thousands of patrons to experience Van Gogh's iconic paintings and self-portraits.

Erin VanAntwerp of Oakland Township is OK with waiting a bit longer for the new immersive exhibit. 

"We were frustrated at first, wondering if it was even going to happen, but they were prompt about rescheduling tickets, to match days and times that we originally chose, and since they now have a venue, we are OK with waiting it out," she said. "It was also nice of them to include free tickets to their next show. 

mfeighan@detroitnews.com