Museum Developments in Richmond

[burt]

A new curator of American arts has been named by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Presently in the identical position at Atlanta's High Museum, Sylvia Yount will start work as a visiting scholar of American art in late February and will move to Richmond in June to become the Louise B. and J. Harwood Cochrane Curator of American art.

She has also been affiliated with The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Gardner Museum in Boston.

[Shakman]

Construction update: The structure has reached ground level towards the rear. (Damn that was quick!!!)

The parking garage is nearing completion while the plaza /garden above is moving along.

Edited January 25, 2007 by Shakman

[wrldcoupe4]

Any updates on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Expansion?

Also, I read recently that Gov. Kaine has secured $400,000 in state funding to help the struggling Museum of the Confederacy.

[Shakman]

Any updates on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Expansion?

Also, I read recently that Gov. Kaine has secured $400,000 in state funding to help the struggling Museum of the Confederacy.

The parking garage is nearly complete. The lights are on, surrounding roads have been paved and marked, sidewalks are done and streetlights are up and on. The only thing left is the sculpture garden above.

The museum expansion has not quite made it out of the ground yet, but one can see the rebar columns onto the ground level.

[burt]

The parking garage is nearly complete. The lights are on, surrounding roads have been paved and marked, sidewalks are done and streetlights are up and on. The only thing left is the sculpture garden above.

The museum expansion has not quite made it out of the ground yet, but one can see the rebar columns onto the ground level.

I thought the Sculpture Garden was to be in the park-like former parking area and that the garage was merely to get a "green" treatment.

[wrldcoupe4]

The sculpture garden will be on top of the new deck... might be in the former parking area as well though.

[Henry]

Take the Valentine Richmond History Center's Quiz at www.iknowrichmond.com. Also, be sure to take the quick survey that follows.

I scored a seven.

Edited March 27, 2007 by Henry

[wrldcoupe4]

haha thanks for the link. I got a 9, but I also guessed on a couple...

Edited March 27, 2007 by wrldcoupe4

[burt]

Thanks, Henry, for directing us to this quiz. I got all ten, but I did guess about the sufferage lady, and I almost voted for first telephone exchange rather than first electric trolley. I believe that Richmond did have one of the first phone exchanges, but it's more famous for the electric street railway.

[skylinefan]

Story in the Washington Post regarding the Museum of the Confederacy:

This is what the Museum of the Confederacy, the onetime "Shrine of the South," has come down to:

Attendance has dropped by nearly half over the past decade. The museum has been losing about $400,000 each year for a decade. Employees have been laid off, hours curtailed. A recent report by a panel of outside experts in museum management concluded that the 117-year-old institution was at a "tipping point" that was going to affect "its very existence."

Article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?hpid=features1

[burt]

Story in the Washington Post regarding the Museum of the Confederacy:

This is what the Museum of the Confederacy, the onetime "Shrine of the South," has come down to:

Attendance has dropped by nearly half over the past decade. The museum has been losing about $400,000 each year for a decade. Employees have been laid off, hours curtailed. A recent report by a panel of outside experts in museum management concluded that the 117-year-old institution was at a "tipping point" that was going to affect "its very existence."

Article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...?hpid=features1

I drove around 12th and Clay Streets last weekend and there is no question the Confederate White House and, especially, the museum are much diminished by surrounding towers which almost engulf them. Since the MCV Gateway building blocks 12th Street north of Marshall, Tourist must have a difficult time. I'm not much on moving landmarks, but Tredegar or the wide-open spaces across South 2nd Street from New Market (Ethyl) would make for a nice site option.

[wrldcoupe4]

I support keeping the White House in its location, but I can understand moving the museum and artifacts. Wasn't the area near the Science Museum also floated? It could generate more traffic given the number of museums nearby.

The museum could probably serve a unique role as an educational institution as opposed to a shrine. It would be neat to have an institution that objectively looks at the Condederacy as a whole... a look at life, politics, and of course war-fighting

[Cadeho]

The WHite House itself should never be moved, but the museum can. The context would be ruined by moving the house more than towers can.

[Shakman]

What would be nice is if the National Parks Service can take over the Confederate Artifacts and place then at the Richmond Civil War Museum at Tredegar. There is plenty of room for another structure.

My idea... Create to section for Confederate and Union artifacts at Tredegar.

[burt]

What would be nice is if the National Parks Service can take over the Confederate Artifacts and place then at the Richmond Civil War Museum at Tredegar. There is plenty of room for another structure.

My idea... Create to section for Confederate and Union artifacts at Tredegar.

Shak, have you visited the new American Civil War Museum at Tredegar? It looks at the Civil War from different perspectives.

[Shakman]

Shak, have you visited the new American Civil War Museum at Tredegar? It looks at the Civil War from different perspectives.

I know it does. I just do not want to see Richmond lose Civil War artifacts to anywhere else. IMO, Richmond is the center of Civil War History.

[burt]

A driving force in Virginia development will retire on June 30th at age 65. He is Walter Witschey, Director of The Science Museum of Virginia.

Mr. Witschey has sheparded the astounding growth of the museum in the beautiful, domed former Broad Street Railway Station on West Broad. It and its neighbor, The Richmond Children's Museum, make up part of Richmond's Museum District along with Virginia Historical Society and The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

A vestibule in the old station -- the area just beyond the domned entry -- will bear Mr. Witschey's name for posterity.

[wrldcoupe4]

He's done wonders for the institution and it's such a great asset. Hopefully the replacement will be just as good.

[wrldcoupe4]

Some renderings of the new expansion at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts... we've seen a few already but I'll post them all anyways:

As viewed from the Boulevard

at night

The West facade of the expansion

The North facade

Walkway to the entrance

Walkway through the new sculpture garden

The VMFA cafe terrace

Pretty neat. Found the renderings here:

http://www.vmfa.mediaroom.state.va.us/expansion.htm

[burt]

Neat renderings. Now a word about a subject dear to my heart -- fountains! One was constructed in the former sculpture garden on the north side of the last expansion. Only problem , it was made of a porous type stone that eroded whenever water trickled over it, so as a result, it rarely, if ever was operative.

If a water feature is included in the latest design, I hope to God it works -- and is utilized! Don't let the Cty Fountain Czar get anywhere near it.

[burt]

The Science Museum of Virginia has lost a fine man to retirement. Walter Witschey, its long time Director, stepped down recently after years of dedicated service. During his tenure, The Science Museum exploded in the public's awareness and probably draws higher attendance than any Virginia museum outside of Metropolitan Washington.

Jack Parry is the interim director while the board seeks a permanent replacement for Witschey perhaps as early as January.

[burt]

Here's an update from yesterday's TD on The Virginia Museum of Fine arts. Though the video is a few months old, the slide show appears to be up-to-date:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news....07-28-0150.html

[burt]

Nofolks's Execitive Director of Nauticus, Richard Conti, has been named the new director of The Science Museum of Virginia replacing the highly regarded Walter Witschey who has elected to retire. Conti has doubled attendance during his tenure at the Nauticus Museum where he was paid $101,000. His new position in Richmond will reward him with $183,000 per year.

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-co...11-06-0136.html

[burt]

A story from today's inRich tells us that repairs and expansion of The Visual Arts Center of Richmond in the Uptown District of The Fan on West Main Street had a gala opening last week:

http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/entertainmen...12-16-0053.html

[burt]

From Richmond dot com, here is an update on construction at The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts scheduled for completion in 2009:

http://www.richmond.com/news-features/23207

Galleries have been and will remain open during construction.

For out-of-towners, the VMFA is located on a large plat of land bounded by The Boulevard to the east; Grove Avenue to the south; Sheppard Street to the west, and the Virginia Historical Society to the north. It is just west of The Fan (The Boulevard is the dividing line) in the Museum District of Richmond's west end.

The former Theatre Virginia auditorium and stage facilities remain and will be used as VMFA sees fit. My guess is that perhaps programs such as "Fast Forward", which brought some rather avant performances in past years, will be re-instated.

For a virtual tour of the completed museum, click: http://www.vmfa.museum/expansion.html

London based architect Rick Mather designed the expansion.

The Animated Fly Through makes it look very cold and barren, but when seen in actuality after completion, the museum will be stunning.

Edited December 22, 2007 by burt