Museum News - renovations, grants - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Art in America, Nov, 2000 by Stephanie Cash, David Ebony

The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia is embarking on an expansion project that will double or triple its current exhibition space at Cherry and Broad Streets. Expected to cost between $30 million and $35 million, the expansion entails renovating an 11-story, disused government building adjacent to the museum's elaborate 1876 Frank Furness-designed landmark structure. Conceived by the architectural firm Dagit Saylor, the scheme calls for a connecting tunnel between the buildings that will contain exhibition areas. Also part of the plan are new classrooms, a bookstore, a cafe and offices, A $15-million state grant initiated the project, which is set to begin next summer and be completed by the end of 2002 or early 2003.

The Bronx Museum of the Arts announced an ambitious expansion and renovation program for its facility at 165th Street and the Grand Concourse. Plans call for a space nearly triple that of the current 31,000-square-foot building. It will include an auditorium, classrooms, offices, a cafe and a gift shop, as well as new galleries. The project was initiated with a $5.6-million pledge from the office of the Bronx Borough President and Bronx delegation of the New York City Council. No architect has yet been chosen for the project, although the museum has set a June 2002 ground-breaking date.

The Ford Foundation has initiated a program called "New Directions/New Donors," offering one-time challenge grants of $1 million to $2.5 million for new art programs at 28 institutions. The recipients include the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston; the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles; the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C.; and SITE Santa Fe. Awardees will have three to five years to find contributions to match the grants.

Following a seven-month renovation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art has reopened its galleries of modern and contemporary art, featuring renowned works by Duchamp, Brancusi, Picasso and Dali. Architect Richard Gluckman supervised the project, which includes state-of-the-art lighting and new display areas.