REACHING FOR THE STARS
A Galaxy of Arts, History & Science
Evansville Museum Unveils Plans for Major Facility Expansion Project
John Streetman, Executive Director of the Museum, unveiled plans for the most ambitious facility expansion project in the institution’s 104-year history. According to Museum officials, the $15 million capital project entitled Reaching for the Stars “not only addresses key existing infrastructure needs but will also dynamically reconfigure our architectural profile in a way that will bring the Museum into the 21st Century and beyond. Through this project we shall, in our exhibitions and programming, be able to enlighten and inspire our visitors in the areas of Arts, History and Science in a way never before possible.”
Chairman for the Campaign, Rita Eykamp, leads a fundraising Cabinet of other distinguished civic leaders including John D. Engelbrecht, Niel C. Ellerbrook, Robert G. Jones, Virginia G. Schroeder, and Susan Hardwick.
Architects for the project are Evansville’s VPS Architecture and Ratio Architects, Inc. in Indianapolis.
For the two years, Museum Trustees and Staff have been involved in a “quiet period” of fundraising that, has garnered almost $13 million toward the goal. Once the fundraising is complete, construction will begin, with the anticipated completion in late 2012.
Highlights of the Project
The Plaza
Plans call for the creation of an expansive gathering place for visitors coming from the nearby historic neighborhood or from their cars in a parking lot conveniently adjacent to The Plaza. The paved, tree-lined and pedestrian-friendly space will more closely link the Museum with EMTRAC, bringing the campus into a cohesive alignment adjacent to the riverfront Greenway.
The Pavilion
Museum visitors will enter the “new Museum” facility through a spectacular two-and-a half story glass Pavilion, to be constructed on the Museum’s south side.
The Immersive Theatre
The cornerstone of the addition to the Museum will be an Immersive Theatre – the newest in planetarium technology – dramatically housed in a “floating dome”, half of which will be a prominent architectural detail on the building’s facade and the other half inside the Pavilion. This new, larger space will not only bring the planetarium experience into the millennium, but will also provide a greater range of program opportunities for schools and businesses in our region, as it will also accommodate film screenings, lectures, group meetings, teleconferencing and remote astronomical observations.
The Museum Shop and the Begley Art Source
The Museum Shop and the Begley Art Source, respectively, have experienced tremendous growth as an alternative destination for unusual and collectible gift items and for quality art consultation services. The Pavilion will provide access to a substantially expanded Museum Shop and the Begley Art Source.
Center for History and Science
With a reorganization of space in the current building, visitors will leave the Pavilion to find the innovative new Center for History and Science, with changing exhibitions focusing on these two disciplines. Visitors will also encounter an expanded and redesigned FamilyPlace for stimulating hands-on learning opportunities in science, technology and family health matters.
Adjacent to the History and Science area will be a new Learning Center that will accommodate tour groups and classes.
Special Entrance for Tour Groups
For group visitation, such as school groups and bus tours, a separate entrance is planned adjacent to a bus drop-off. This entrance will lead to a multi-purpose room created to accommodate large groups, allowing them to organize for their Museum visit. Additional restrooms will be located nearby.
Evansville: A Walk Through Time
The heart of the Museum’s time-honored Rivertown USA will be retained. The plans are to extend the present timeframe – from 1825-1910 – to storefronts and houses depicting pre-World War II and beyond. The focal point of this area will be the installation of a permanent World War II Evansville Home Front Interpretive Center, which will draw from the Museum’s vast holdings for that period and provide a historical introduction to the City’s Riverfront LST 325.
Collections & Receiving
The area previously occupied by the Science Center and FamilyPlace will be designated for the ongoing care and stewardship of the Museum’s permanent collections in a climate controlled environment that will accommodate a new state-of-the-art high-density mobile storage system.
The Old Gallery
Already completed as part of the facility renovations is the updated Old Gallery, the Museum’s near 5,000 sq. ft. exhibition and multi-purpose gallery, a new meeting and exhibition space with an expansive river view has been added.
Board Room
On the Third Floor, the former Koch Planetarium will be handsomely redesigned as a Board Room, retaining the Room’s historic circular, domed configuration. This meeting room will be available for use by Museum Trustees, area businesses and not-for-profit groups. An added feature will be the addition of windows, providing a river view.
