WORCESTER, Mass. – ‘Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience’ is opening in Worcester's Mercantile Center on Thursday, Nov. 14.

What You Need To Know

  • Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is opening Nov. 14 in downtown Worcester at the Mercantile Center

  • The experience features paintings like Sunflowers and The Starry Night in 360° projections and virtual reality

  • The gallery explores the life and works of Vincent Van Gogh, as well as his relationship with his brother Theo

“Vincent Van Gogh is the rock star of the art world," John Zaller said. "We all know his works, we've seen them all before, but we've never seen them like this.”

Zaller said bringing Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience to downtown Worcester has been years in the making.

“Worcester is a great community. The whole central and western Mass area really celebrates the art and artists of the region," Zaller said. "You know, just driving around downtown, there's murals on all the walls. So, this is another way to bring art and artists together.”

Zaller said from learning about Vincent Van Gogh’s early life, to becoming a part of his work, to the "crown jewel" of the experience – the 360-degree immersive gallery – this is a whole new way to learn about the famous Dutch painter.

“My favorite part is seeing people rediscovering the art of Vincent Van Gogh. He is an incredible artist who we all know a little bit about," Zaller said. "But through this hour or 90-minute experience, you're going to get much deeper into the story of Vincent Van Gogh than you ever thought was possible through a technology that is really cutting edge and just a reason in itself to come out.”

The gallery is made possible with more than 60 projectors, thousands of hours of work, plus a virtual reality experience.

Zaller said while many topics are highlighted like Van Gogh’s inspirations, struggles with mental healt, and his use of art as a therapeutic tool, he believes the experience is opening in the Heart of the Commonwealth at the perfect time.

“We've all had crazy years this year. You know, a lot of uncertainties, a lot of questions about where we're headed as a country and what we're doing with our families for the holidays," Zaller said. "This is a great opportunity for everybody to come together around art and celebrate art in this whole new way. But get you out of the house, get you focused on something that uplifts you, something that brings us all together.”