The Brooklyn Museum celebrated the opening of the brand-new Toby Devan Lewis Education Center on Saturday - cutting the ribbon for the 9,500-square-foot space that's been in the works for nearly a decade.

While the museum says it has one of the oldest art education departments in the country, officials admit their rooms, which date back to the late 1970s and early '80s needed an update. Adjoa Jones de Almeida, the deputy director for learning and social impact, described them as "kind of depressing spaces... kind of uninspiring."

Jones de Almeida says the new area is almost the exact opposite of that though, something that she thinks allows them to "really match the vibrancy of the communities that we're serving."

The Education Center features three studio rooms with brand new audio/visual equipment, and an emphasis on bright colors and natural light.

In the middle of the three studios is a giant gallery room which is displaying an interactive clay exhibit called "Artland" – something that anyone can add to. Eventually, people who take classes in the new space will get to see their work also displayed in the gallery as its very own museum exhibit.

McBean Tocruray says she hopes students of all ages will see their work there and feel a sense of pride in their neighborhood museum.

Nearly 50,000 people come to the museum for classes and workshops each year. The plan is to offer family-friendly programs every weekend in the space for free.

For more information on the Brooklyn Museum, visit their website.