The new Alexandria Museum of Art is a testament of community pride and
> ambition. From the beginning of the 5.6 million dollar capital drive,
through
> the design and construction phase, this project is an example of a small
> community's commitment to establish a public gathering place for the
> preservation and presentation of art.
>
> The museum architect for the new Museum of Art is Joe Brocato, Sr., FAIA,
of
> Barron, Heinberg and Brocato.  Mr. Brocato, in association with the
Museum's
> Executive Director, Mark Tullos, Jr., spent two years in the study of the
> Museum's programs and vision for the new facility. "The building design
is
> about the enjoyment of the quality of light and space as it relates to
the
> individual experiencing the building," Brocato said.  While this was the
first
> time Brocato has designed a Museum of Art, he has had extensive
experience in
> the design of major public facilities including: Louisiana State
University,
> College of Design  in Baton Rouge, LA and Louisiana College "Black Box"
Martin
> Theater in Pineville, LA.  Tullos had overseen the design and
construction of
> two other Southern Museums:  the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean
> Springs, Mississippi and the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin, Texas. The
new
> museum's design is a consummate example of harmony between aesthetics and
> function.
>
> The Museum of Art has been in existence since 1977 and was housed in the
> historic Rapides Bank and Trust building c. 1898. In 1995 the Board of
> Trustees of the Alexandria Museum of Art acquired the adjacent properties
to
> the historic building. The Bank building was the only structure that was
> preserved in the construction project. Other structures were removed to
make
> way for expanded museum facilities.
>
> The entrance plaza of the Museum of Art is designed in a parquet pattern
of
> concrete and brick. Every square foot of the exterior property, with the
> exception of gardens and planting areas, hosts this pattern. The Main
entrance
> of the facility faces the west and the city's new $14 million Riverfront
> Convention Center. The monumental entranceway of the Museum is graced by
four
> 24" brushed aluminum columns that support an overlook gallery clad in the
same
> material. The exterior of the new Museum is a combination of black brick,
> glazed black tile accents, glass, brushed aluminum and black granite from
Cold
> Springs, Minnesota. The roof of the 55 foot, three-story structure is
crowned
> with a glass pyramid that serves as a beacon on the Alexandria Riverfront
and
> focal point for the downtown skyline. Overall, the presence of the Museum
of
> Art is a centerpiece to surrounding properties including the historic
Hotel
> Bentley, Alexandria City Hall, the Riverfront amphitheater and the
Riverfront
> Convention Center.
>
> Each floor of the new Museum is designed around a specific aspect of the
> Museum's mission. The first floor is primarily composed of areas
designated
> for visitor's services (e.g. Reception/information desk, rest rooms, cafe
and
> kitchen, multimedia auditorium and the Museum Store). There are also two
> galleries on the first floor located in the historic bank structure, the
> children's Pyramid Gallery and the community gallery.
>
> The second floor is exclusively designed for collections, administration
and
> education. This floor includes all art conservation spaces and collection
> storage, administrative and office space, and the education classroom and
> Museum Art Library.
>
> Visitors will discover beautiful exhibition spaces on the third floor.
This
> level, dedicated to exhibitions, hosts four galleries. Three of the
galleries
> are flooded with indirect, natural light pouring  from the pyramid
skylight. A
> view of the Riverfront and downtown Alexandria sets the backdrop for the
Jane
> Wilson Smith Gallery that contains a changing collection of sculpture.
>
> While the 21,000 square foot facility is small, in comparison to many
larger
> institutions in major metropolitan areas, the new Alexandria Museum of
Art is
> a unique public gathering place for a community of 100,000. The needs met
by
> this new facility include: improved public accessibility in all areas by
> meeting federal accessibility laws; the addition of new and improved
areas for
> generating earned income for museum operations; providing expanded and
> improved public gathering areas that will work in unison with the city's
new
> Convention Center; providing adequate and safe areas for collection
storage
> and maintenance that meet accreditation standards of the American
Association
> of Museums. AMoA holds 1,305 works of art in public trust. AMoA borrows
> approximately 1,200 objects from private and public collections each
year.
>
> Museum Trustees feel that the Museum, in partnership with the new
exhibition
> center and local hotels will, in the future, offer a rich and diverse
array of
> activity for out-of-town visitors. "The new Alexandria Museum of Art will
not
> only be a place for family, fun and learning, but a marvelous symbol of
our
> community's pride and ambition," says Tullos.
> END
> Editor's Note: Please see enclosed Tour Map. You may contact the Museum
> Architect at the following number:(318)443-7291.  AMoA will provide
interior
> photographs of the new Museum of Art upon request.
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
> Contact:Mark Tullos
> Museum Director
> Alexandria Museum of Art
> PO Box 1028
> Alexandria, LA 71309-1028
> (318) 443-3458
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Architecture
>
> The new Alexandria Museum of Art is a testament of community pride and
> ambition. The Museum is located at 933 Main Street in downtown
Alexandria.
> Hours are Tue-Fri from 10 - 5. and Sat and Sun 1-5. Admission is $3.00
Adults
> and $1.00 children, free to Museum Members. For more information call the
> Museum
> Call Center at 318-443-3458 and choose the menu option for current
> exhibitions. Or, visit the Museum web site at www.themuseum.org.
>
> >From the beginning of the 5.6 million dollar capital drive, through the
design
> and construction phase, this project is an example of a small community's
> commitment to establish a public gathering place for the preservation and
> presentation of art.
>
> The museum architect for the new Museum of Art is Joe Brocato, Sr., FAIA,
of
> Barron, Heinberg and Brocato.  Mr. Brocato, in association with the
Museum's
> Executive Director, Mark Tullos, Jr., spent two years in the study of the
> Museum's programs and vision for the new facility. "The building design
is
> about the enjoyment of the quality of light and space as it relates to
the
> individual experiencing the building," Brocato said.  While this was the
first
> time Brocato has designed a Museum of Art, he has had extensive
experience in
> the design of major public facilities including: Louisiana State
University,
> College of Design  in Baton Rouge, LA and Louisiana College "Black Box"
Martin
> Theater in Pineville, LA.  Tullos had overseen the design and
construction of
> two other Southern Museums:  the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean
> Springs, Mississippi and the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin, Texas. The
new
> museum's design is a consummate example of harmony between aesthetics and
> function.
>
> The Museum of Art has been in existence since 1977 and was housed in the
> historic Rapides Bank and Trust building c. 1898. In 1995 the Board of
> Trustees of the Alexandria Museum of Art acquired the adjacent properties
to
> the historic building. The Bank building was the only structure that was
> preserved in the construction project. Other structures were removed to
make
> way for expanded museum facilities.
>
> The entrance plaza of the Museum of Art is designed in a parquet pattern
of
> concrete and brick. Every square foot of the exterior property, with the
> exception of gardens and planting areas, hosts this pattern. The Main
entrance
> of the facility faces the west and the city's new $14 million Riverfront
> Convention Center. The monumental entranceway of the Museum is graced by
four
> 24" brushed aluminum columns that support an overlook gallery clad in the
same
> material. The exterior of the new Museum is a combination of black brick,
> glazed black tile accents, glass, brushed aluminum and black granite from
Cold
> Springs, Minnesota. The roof of the 55 foot, three-story structure is
crowned
> with a glass pyramid that serves as a beacon on the Alexandria Riverfront
and
> focal point for the downtown skyline. Overall, the presence of the Museum
of
> Art is a centerpiece to surrounding properties including the historic
Hotel
> Bentley, Alexandria City Hall, the Riverfront amphitheater and the
Riverfront
> Convention Center.
>
> Each floor of the new Museum is designed around a specific aspect of the
> Museum's mission. The first floor is primarily composed of areas
designated
> for visitor's services (e.g. Reception/information desk, rest rooms, cafe
and
> kitchen, multimedia auditorium and the Museum Store). There are also two
> galleries on the first floor located in the historic bank structure, the
> children's Pyramid Gallery and the community gallery.
>
> The second floor is exclusively designed for collections, administration
and
> education. This floor includes all art conservation spaces and collection
> storage, administrative and office space, and the education classroom and
> Museum Art Library.
>
> Visitors will discover beautiful exhibition spaces on the third floor.
This
> level, dedicated to exhibitions, hosts four galleries. Three of the
galleries
> are flooded with indirect, natural light pouring  from the pyramid
skylight. A
> view of the Riverfront and downtown Alexandria sets the backdrop for the
Jane
> Wilson Smith Gallery that contains a changing collection of sculpture.
>
> While the 21,000 square foot facility is small, in comparison to many
larger
> institutions in major metropolitan areas, the new Alexandria Museum of
Art is
> a unique public gathering place for a community of 100,000. The needs met
by
> this new facility include: improved public accessibility in all areas by
> meeting federal accessibility laws; the addition of new and improved
areas for
> generating earned income for museum operations; providing expanded and
> improved public gathering areas that will work in unison with the city's
new
> Convention Center; providing adequate and safe areas for collection
storage
> and maintenance that meet accreditation standards of the American
Association
> of Museums. AMoA holds 1,305 works of art in public trust. AMoA borrows
> approximately 1,200 objects from private and public collections each
year.
>
> Museum Trustees feel that the Museum, in partnership with the new
exhibition
> center and local hotels will, in the future, offer a rich and diverse
array of
> activity for out-of-town visitors. "The new Alexandria Museum of Art will
not
> only be a place for family, fun and learning, but a marvelous symbol of
our
> community's pride and ambition," says Tullos.
> END
> Editor's Note: Please see enclosed Tour Map. You may contact the Museum
> Architect at the following number:(318)443-7291.  AMoA will provide
interior
> photographs of the new Museum of Art upon request.
>