Raleigh Contemporary Art Museum (CAM)

[Raleighmark]

Lost in all the hoopla about RBCs possible move to downtown Raleigh is another noteworthy news article in the August 21 edition of the News and Observer. Seems the Raleigh city council has given the Contemporary Art Museum one million dollars to help design a new museum.

From the N&O article

[DanRNC]

This has been a work in progress for awhile. It looks like its finally going to be done.

CAM link

[capitalapts]

Lost in all the hoopla about RBCs possible move to downtown Raleigh is another noteworthy news article in the August 21 edition of the News and Observer. Seems the Raleigh city council has given the Contemporary Art Museum one million dollars to help design a new museum.

From the N&O article

[MR-2]

Wow, Raleigh seems intent on becoming a museum mecca. They already have three downtown and one in the outskirts that I know of. This project somewhat reminds me of Denver's downtown art museum (which is quite nice I might add). I'm excited to see this is going to happen, and right down the street from the TTA station at that.

[urbanesq]

It's great, and it's funky and cool to do that type of thing in the old warehouses, but I can't help thinking that it's a missed opportunity to renovate the low-rise buildings instead of using the land to build some real high density development that close to the TTA station.

In any event, the more museums downtown the better.

[paletexan]

This sounds promising, and i hope the project will be really funky

What are the museums downtown currently? I only know of Exploris and Natural Sciences .. of which only the latter is worth visiting IMO.

To clarify, this has no affiliation with the NC Museum of Art, or it's propsed expansion, correct?

[DanRNC]

NC Museum of History (which is pretty good), Raleigh City Museum, ArtSpace.

[MR-2]

Doesn't sound like the Contemporary Art museum will have anything to do with the NC Museum of Art. They're planning on putting stuff where the old prison sat nextdoor I believe.

[DanRNC]

CAM has no affiliation with the NC Museum of Art. MCMOA is building a new museum where the youth correctional facility was as well as an "art park" with various art pavillions. Its a rather unique idea. They are supposed to get $25 million worth of Rodin sculptures in 2008-thats why the new building is being constructed. The existing museum will be turned into classrooms and offices.

[Tayfromcarolina]

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is The bomb expanded a few years ago to include dinosaur exhibits and added escalators and will expand again with the "Green Square" Project In a years or two.

It's on Salisbury and Jones Street across from Legislative Building.

[DanRNC]

I'm stoked about the Green Square Project even and I'm a jaded scientist. I was in Denver recently and visited the science museum there. I have to say that the NC Museum of Life and Science is just as nice or even nicer. The expansion will probably favor the nicer part. Plus, the Denver museum was $7 and ours is free.

[paletexan]

I'm stoked about the Green Square Project even and I'm a jaded scientist. I was in Denver recently and visited the science museum there. I have to say that the NC Museum of Life and Science is just as nice or even nicer. The expansion will probably favor the nicer part. Plus, the Denver museum was $7 and ours is free.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've always heard great things about the science musuem downtown. Overall, does anyone know how Raleigh ranks in terms of museum quality relative to other state capitols or cities near its size?

[DanRNC]

I know the Museum of Art is well known nationally especially in the southeast. My mother, who is a big arts person, says the collection is more impressive than that of the High Museum in Atlanta.

As a science person, I say the NC Museum of Natural Science is one of the best I've seen-not comparing to the American Museum of Natural Science in NYC or the Smithsonian (I don't think many things compare to those).

[Subway Scoundrel]

Wow, Raleigh seems intent on becoming a museum mecca. They already have three downtown and one in the outskirts that I know of. This project somewhat reminds me of Denver's downtown art museum (which is quite nice I might add). I'm excited to see this is going to happen, and right down the street from the TTA station at that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have always believed that Raleigh's greatest tourist hope is its' Museums. Build as many as we can and then some. We don't have a big mountain, no natural wonders (Hooters does not count), no amusement park, no real water. But imagine this? A family, or smart single people come to Raleigh for a week to visit all the museums. They stay downtown in one of the many nice hotels, they go out at night at many bars and restaurants, take in a couple of shows at Progress Energy Theater and take in a Hockey game and see some good bands..... and during the day, go to all the museums, special exhibits and attend lectures at a university or museum. Fly in, cat the TTA to downtown Raleigh and travel between cities by TTA and other mass transit. You have 3 cities to choose and get a feel for all 3 downtowns with maybe only renting a car for a day to go to "jug town" or to hit a place off the "new tightly built rail corridor". A more

[urbanvb]

That is a great idea! Maybe the city will hire you for their PR guy!

[MR-2]

Exactly! Although Raleigh does have Falls Lake as far as water goes... more of a suburby thing than something relevant to the city. I guess if they were really desperate for a landmark, they could make another large reservoir within city limits. The main advantage is for living and working though. It's a 2 hour drive to the beach, 4 hour drive to the mountains, so it accomodates vacations indirectly, if not locally.

[Jones_]

I know the Museum of Art is well known nationally especially in the southeast. My mother, who is a big arts person, says the collection is more impressive than that of the High Museum in Atlanta.

As a science person, I say the NC Museum of Natural Science is one of the best I've seen-not comparing to the American Museum of Natural Science in NYC or the Smithsonian (I don't think many things compare to those).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am sure a read an article a couple years ago that ranked NC's museum third behind these two in the nation. The rarity of our dinosaur fossil had alot to do with it but the whole museum is highly regarded.

[paletexan]

Speaking of landmarks, it would be great for this museum to generate a Bilbao Effect downtown to truly make raleigh/triangle a cultural destination.

For those unfamiliar with the success in Bilbao, there's a summary from forbes about it:

http://www.forbes.com/2002/02/20/0220conn.html

It would also cut downtown some slack for not having skyscrapers since so many people seem to judge cities by their skyline. i'm a big proponent of not trying to build towers to "catch up" with other cities, but rather reinvent the wheel with interesting projects, and generate pedestrian traffic.

[MR-2]

As far as skyscrapers go, if Raleigh just had two more between BB&T and Wachovia (of comparable size to them) it'd have a pretty good skyline. With the Reynolds and RBC projects projected to go up, we could wind up getting that.

I would prefer just a few skyscrapers with really interesting architecture over a massive collection of boring boxes.

[urbanesq]

It's something that I've almost taken for granted having grown up in NC, but I agree with previous posts: Raleigh has some of the best museums on the east coast. We have spent time recently in the museums in DC and New York, and of course who could compete with those cultural meccas, but I think we've done a great job with Raleigh's attractions.

It's a shame that Exploris hasn't done better financially, because it's a really neat concept. I think the Green Square project will be an excellent addition to downtown; although I have to confess that I prefer the orginal, more traditional-looking design with the rotunda. I think the current proposal is hip and mod, but will look very dated very quickly; as opposed to the Natural Science Museum, which will look classic and attractive forever.

[DanRNC]

I actually think Exploris is doing fine financially. I know someone who used to work there that told me this and had no reason to sugar coat it. Their attendance from the statistics I have seen actually showed equal or better attendance to that at the Mint Museum in Charlotte (the main art museum in Charlotte). Some members of the Raleigh Town Council have wanted to pull town funding forever on this project so I believe their forces have consistently been pushing the negative propaganda.

[urbanesq]

^^ I'm glad to hear that. I know that it had been shaky for awhile, or at least that was the media's spin on it. Good to know that it's negative cast isn't more than media fog.

[DanRNC]

With that said, I do think they need to have more regular traveling exhibits. The China on tour exhibit was amazing. If they were able to keep those exhibits up I could see their attendance double or triple.

With this idea of making the area a cultural mecca (which I think its on its way to becoming if not already there), there should be emphasis on integrating all the cultural venues and events in the area together into a marketing strategy. Duke will be opening the new Nasher Museum this fall and UNC will be re-opening Memorial Hall this fall as well beginning construction on the Ackland Expansion and new Arts Commons. Durham is starting construction on their new performing arts center in the American Tobacco Complex and Carrboro will be expanding the ArtsCenter and Cat's Cradle. This would be a perfect time to start a centralized Triangle Arts Commission to market all this stuff.

[urbanesq]

This would be a perfect time to start a centralized Triangle Arts Commission to market all this stuff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Now THAT'S a great idea. I nominate DanRNC as chair of the organizational committee for the TRAC (Triangle Regional Arts Council). Second? All in favor? The ayes have it. Congratulations, and keep us posted on the progress of this exciting new initiative for our region.

[Tayfromcarolina]

I also feel we should work on getting an aquarium here. Atlantas new aquarium opens later this year and it looks like it will draw a lot of tourists in.

The closest really nice aquarium is in Myrtle Beach, SC. I know I am not the only one that feels that it's about time that with a city such as ours intent on having great museums, that a nice aquarium should fit in nicely.