The Smithsonian’s Arts & Industries building, which long fuctioned as the institution’s main museum, will be closing for repairs several months ahead of schedule, and may not reopen until the end of the decade. “Constructed between 1879 and 1881, the building has a leaky and decaying roof, as well as other structural problems. A series of canopies in the main public areas now catch peeling paint and chips from the ceiling and roof.” Funds for the renovation have yet to be authorized by Congress, and no one seems quite sure when the money will be forthcoming.