| Agency Description The museum recently completed a comprehensive space study in conjunction with the goals articulated in VMFA’s 2020 Strategic Plan. The results of the study point to the need for an expansion and renovation to include expanded exhibition galleries, collection-support, collaborative and educational spaces for meetings and programs and development of a new sculpture garden. Based on current trends, the study addressed the both the short term (10 year) and long term (20 year) growth projections (see attached proposed expansion areas).
The museum currently occupies 473,000 square feet of space. To meet the short term projections, the museum will need to expand by 107,400 SF and renovate 45,000 SF of the existing facilities. This expansion and renovation will allow the museum to maximize its potential for the benefit of the Commonwealth. Assuming a 6-year period for planning, design, Department of Engineering and Building Code Review, and construction, the ribbon cutting would occur in 2024. The cost estimate includes a cost escalation calculated to the midpoint of construction.
As with the last major expansion of the museum in 2010, the museum plans to raise private funds to contribute to the cost of construction as well as to meet endowment goals set for statewide projects, including VMFA on the Road (an Artmobile for the 21st Century) and conservation needs. While we are in the beginning stages of fundraising, we feel confident that we could leverage a pledge of state support to raise one-third of the funds necessary for this project from private sources. State funding would directly support Governor Northam’s goal of taking advantage of limited, one-time economic opportunities that will not exist if they are delayed by allowing the museum to continue to contribute to economic development in the Commonwealth by generating increased tourism and related revenue.
Please note that if this budget request was funded in conjunction with the construction of an annex building, the cost for both projects could potentially decrease by as much as 10% to 15%. The cost for General Conditions, mobilization and demobilization would be shared instead of independent of each other.
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| Justification VMFA opened in 1936 and has rapidly grown to become one of the top ten comprehensive art museums in the United States. Since its founding, VMFA’s collections have grown to nearly 40,000 works of art. Museum attendance since the 2010 reopening has grown to almost 700,000 visitors, averaging approximately 504,000 visitors annually. Growth in collections, programs, events and visitor activities, along with the spaces needed to support them, has been constrained by the physical limitations of the existing campus buildings. Taken together, these constraints have challenged VMFA’s ability to carry out its mission to the fullest, as well as impacting its day-to-day operations and raising concerns about how the museum can continue to fulfill its role as a leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia in furthering an understanding of the arts, and how it can continue to serve as an exemplary setting for exhibition, collecting, interpretation and education.
Alternatives
The VMFA would have to limit the number of exhibitions and works from the permanent collection that can be displayed to the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It would also mean a continuation of having to limit the number of special events in the museum. The museum would continue to divide departments into several buildings due to limited office/collaborative space.
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