Construction comes to an end...
The Summer of 2023 was filled with inspections, certifications, training, adjustments and the final touches of the construction project. While during Spring, the building truly transformed into a museum with alarm and security systems going live, audio-visual and accessibility refinements, gallery lighting, finishing the moveable walls and close monitoring of strict environmental conditions.
After certification the new building met LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-level standards which is quite an accomplishment for a museum environment that has been created from renovation of a 1970’s faculty club.
Moving the museum collections was a major project, with artwork finding new locations in the Collections Gallery, visible collections storage, and art storage areas. Visible collections storage includes a custom lateral art rack system for compact storage of large framed works, as well as additional wall mount racks and a renewal of existing vertical storage. With a full glass wall from the galleries, visitors can view this area and ongoing collections work.
The museum features a dedicated Collections Gallery alongside temporary exhibitions. The front entry areas include the shop, library, and reception.
With demolition beginning in April 2021, the construction project was just over two years. For many museum supporters, it began ten years ago with the museum 40th anniversary celebrations and the campus commitment to find the Gorman Museum a new home.
Breaking Ground on the Gorman Museum Relocation/Renovation Project
The short video (8 min) provides a brief history of the Gorman Museum of Native American Art and how we arrived at this moment when construction begins on the museum's new home. The video includes a walk through of the current facility as it stood just before the start of construction.