Set to Build

ALBANY MUSEUM OF ART UPDATE

As the new year begins, the Albany Museum of Art (AMA) will be moving onto a new phase of its relocation to the former Belk department store building. When the $34 million project is completed, the AMA will be an anchor for arts in downtown Albany.

“We are concluding our design development stage now,” said AMA Executive Director Andrew J. Wulf. “We shall be entering the construction document phase of the project in January.”

Work has already begun at the site. The former dance studio adjacent to the building has been razed for a future sculpture garden. Asbestos in the mid-1970s building and underground contamination from a previous gas station have been mitigated. The interior of the building has been cleared for future construction of exhibition galleries, educational and hands-on art programming, event space, collection storage, a cafe and museum offices. At 53,000 square feet, its usable space is more than double that of the current museum building.

The building also is in use. In February, Art Ball, the AMA’s major fundraiser, will again take place in the space that Wulf describes as “industrial chic.” In late January, there are plans for a community concert to take place in the building.

“We conducted Art Ball in the Belk building last February, and it was a rousing success,” Wulf said. “It was the first opportunity for many of our patrons and supporters to go inside the new museum, and we received tremendous positive feedback about the experience. Once you are inside the building, you get a better sense and feel for its enormous potential of being a state-of-the-art cultural hub for a reinvigorated downtown Albany.”

Fundraising for the move is underway, and Wulf notes significant donations have been received. A higher-profile capital campaign will get underway in the coming months. While much of the work so far has been behind the scenes, those passing by the future museum site will see more progress being made.

“We anticipate construction work at the site will get underway this summer,” Wulf said. “It will generate excitement about the project moving forward and visually reinforce our commitment to this community.”

That commitment is also evident in the museum’s annual fall art festival, AMA ChalkFest, conducted in downtown Albany. The 5th annual festival, hosted November 19, drew about 2,000 people to the 200 block of South Front Street and Veterans Park Amphitheatre.

“We work diligently to remove all barriers to accessing art in our community. We offer free admission to ChalkFest,” Wulf said. “Likewise, we offer everyone free admission to the AMA, including school field trips. The majority of our programming is free, thanks to our generous members and donors who see the tremendous value in what the museum has to offer.”

As the downtown project progresses, Wulf said, it is important to note that the AMA is continuing its full schedule of exhibitions, programming, and events at its current home at 311 Meadowlark Drive.