by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
In a plodding but deliberate manner, the five-story Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art adjacent to Hemming Plaza is bustling with activity, anticipating its next phase of development.
“We’ve been moving along as planned,” said Jane Craven, executive director of the museum. “We haven’t had any delays, but the capital campaign took longer than we thought to plan before we actually launched it. We wanted to make sure that we put a great deal of planning into the campaign.”
As part of phase one of its capital campaign, the museum is searching for lead or large gifts. Phase two will elicit smaller, but still substantially-sized gifts followed by a general appeal to the public kicking off in approximately six months.
To date, interior demolition of the old building and the installation of the new roof have both been completed. Plans to restore the building’s facade have been drafted and a children’s interactive center is being designed. There’s also the matter of a new next door neighbor, the Downtown Library.
“The library will wrap around us in an ‘L’ shape,” said Craven. “We will work with the library project committee to create physical interfaces so visitors can go back and forth.”
A 600-space parking deck adjacent to the museum on Duval Street will be shared by the library and museum. Collaborative programs with the new library are also planned.
But for now, the museum will continue its own renovation projects.
“The whole first floor was adapted for use as a contemporary storefront so a lot of the historic detail was lost in remodeling over the years,” said Craven. “We are going to restore the original 1931 appearance of the storefront, which means installing metal ornamentation to reconfigure the front, including the restoration of the terra cotta facade.”
Local architect Herschel Shepherd has donated his skills, drawing the specifications to preserve the historic significance of the structure.
Each floor provides 10,000 square feet. The ground floor will house the museum store, lobby, museum cafe and an atrium gallery with a skylight towering three stories high. In early spring, phase two of the demolition process will commence, which will involve gutting the middle portion of the building and reconfiguring it into a horseshoe shape to create the 40-foot vertical space for the atrium. The back wall will be taken down and filled in. The entire project is scheduled to be finished by spring 2003.
Floors two and three will be reserved for gallery space with large, traveling exhibitions rotating through the second floor. The third floor will showcase the permanent collection, works on paper and regional gallery works. The fourth floor will be administrative offices and studio classrooms and a children’s center will occupy the top floor.
“We are planning a children’s interactive center with an emphasis on teaching basic drawing skills,” said Craven. “We have illustrations back from our consultant. It will be a loft concept with kind of an outsider approach. The tone will be contemporary art. We’ve gotten pretty far along in planning for it.”
Tagged as The Art Explorium Loft, the objective is to create a center that will reflect a big city creative environment for parents and children. A giant sculpture will be suspended from the ceiling.
“We hope to actively involve parents,” said museum curator George Kinghorn. “It will be hands-on interactive, both low tech and high tech, giving the opportunity to learn all sorts of art processes such as print making and principles such as lines and shapes through kiosks. The whole thing will highlight works from the permanent collection. A work of art will be used to illustrate the various techniques. It will be highly visual, wonderful colors, interesting use of materials and textures and found objects. It will be a visual feast.”
There will be a 130-seat auditorium, storage and a dark room in the basement.
“The classroom will be attached [to the dark room]; the photography classes are quite popular,” said Craven.
Instruction from local university professors in ceramics, painting and drawing will also be available. Other uses for the facility include renting space for corporate or private events such as weddings or parties.
While Craven’s job responsibilities won’t change, she does expect to expand to a 12-person staff within three years. With the aid of the Cultural Council and other supporters, she will continue her fundraising for the museum’s endowment, pursue grant money and cultivate private donors.
Formed in 1924, the museum was located on Art Museum Drive in the Koger Executive Center under the name the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art.
Pieces from 1945 to the 1970s — most notably abstract impressionist pieces — will continue to be the focus of the museum.
“We want to generate awareness of the work of living artists,” said Craven. “Art from the past complements the art of the past. It’s a reflection of our culture and who we are.”
Outreach programs emphasizing education by utilizing art-based literature in public schools will remain one of the museum’s staples as well.
“Our main goal is our mission,” said Craven. “To explore diverse cultural themes and to foster community spirit through our exhibitions, collections and education programs designed to enhance awareness, understanding and appreciation of our contemporary world.”
The move downtown put JMoMA in the middle of a booming area, with the new library, U.S. Courthouse and county courthouse all being built in the Hemming Plaza area.
“The main thing was the location even more than the space,” said Craven. “We will be in close proximity to an important constituency — kids in urban neighborhoods. We’re on the major bus routes, within walking distance of several core neighborhoods and close to other cultural institutions. We’re looking forward to being part of the city’s center and bringing retail downtown as part of the store.”
In addition, museum officials hope people working downtown will become consistent visitors.
“Folks who work downtown can come here after work and seek an opportunity for personal enrichment,” said Craven. “The arts are expanding daily and the City has done a great job of giving support to the arts. As downtown develops and as we develop as a strong contemporary museum, it can only help artists. Artists of every genre need a lively cultural center and with the arts in close proximity to each other, it helps everyone. I’m impressed with [Mayor John] Delaney’s support. He envisions a culturally viable downtown and has done everything in his power to make that happen.”
With few institutions displaying modern or contemporary works exclusively, JMoMA fills its niche nicely.
“The museum is a vital, urban presence and with 60,000 square feet of varied public spaces it is going to be a striking addition to Jacksonville,” said Craven.
“In terms of programs and space, we’ve covered all the functions of an urban museum,” added Kinghorn.
“Neobotanica” is currently on display at the museum. The next exhibition is “Consuming Image: Painterly Pop,” which is scheduled to open early next year.