Enfilade

Press release (13 July 2013) from The Westmoreland:

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The Westmoreland Museum of American Art broke ground Friday [12 July 2013] to celebrate and begin the expansion and renovation of The Future Westmoreland. Ennead Architects of New York City and LaQuatra Bonci Associates: Landscape Architecture of Pittsburgh are working with the museum to create a new experience for visitors including a brand new wing, renovation of the existing building to have LEED silver certification, and a complete re-design of the grounds.

Pennsylvania’s First Lady Susan Corbett, Chairwoman of PA Council on the Arts, was a guest speaker at Friday’s ceremony, “The Westmoreland Museum of American Art has served as a cultural asset to downtown Greensburg and Southwestern Pennsylvania since its establishment in 1959,” said Corbett, “The renovation and expansion of the museum will provide both visitors and residents with new ways of experiencing our American heritage.”

Susan T. Rodriguez from Ennead Architects, who brings extensive design experience including renovations to the Brooklyn Museum and the Newseum in Washington D.C., is the lead architect for the Future Westmoreland, “Today’s groundbreaking marks an exciting step in the transformation of the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Our vision for the museum celebrates the vital role of the museum and the arts in the region and redefines its identity and connection to the city and the surrounding landscape.”

Senator Kim Ward, Dottie Staffen, District Administrator for Senator Kim Ward, Westmoreland County Commissioner Charles Andersen and Mayor of Greensburg, Ronald Silvis also participated in Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Planning for the expansion/renovation was initiated in 2009 in response to the continued growth of the Museum’s collections, demand for educational programming, and critically acclaimed exhibitions program. The Museum’s 50-plus year old building was also in need of reconfiguration to serve the needs of an art museum operating in the 21st century. An architectural steering committee headed by Westmoreland Trustee Harry A. Thompson II was organized in 2010 and continues to guide the design process in conjunction with Museum staff.

The new campus and architectural design will deliver a building that will be an architectural asset to visitors and the community including new galleries, classrooms, studios, and public gathering spaces with the most current technology. Words used to guide the design principles include welcoming, user-friendly, distinctive, and memorable. The expansion and renovation will reflect the Museums mission and fully address the Museums and its communitys programmatic needs.

The newly renovated and expanded Westmoreland Museum of American Art is scheduled to open in the spring of 2015. These expansion efforts are tied into a campaign that includes both Capital and Endowment funds to become sustainable in every sense of the wordfinancially, socially, and environmentally. In total, it is a $38 million campaign with $18 million for capital, $16 million for a new endowment, and $4 million for operating costs during the 5-year run of the campaign.