"Sam Cam" provided by Schommer and Sons Construction. Views are updated every 15 minutes:

Outdoor Interpretive Spaces

Maryhill's extraordinary setting, encompassing thousands of years of cultural and natural history, is nearly as fantastic as the myriad collections, exhibits and programs inside the building.

The museum's new wing will include more than 12,500 square feet of accessible outdoor space that will allow visitors to more fully experience this spectacular asset. The Vista Terrace and Plaza will provide spaces for outdoor sculpture and educational programs, vistas and viewpoints, and interpretive panels on the cultural and natural history of the region; all of these features will enhance the visitor experience and extend the museum's educational mission outdoors.

View from the Vista Terrace

Centralized Collections Suite

Collections are at the heart of any museum and Maryhill is no exception. The Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing will facilitate responsible care of our world-class collections and allow the museum's professional staff to work efficiently. The centralized collection suite will feature a well-designed storage area to provide improved access and ensure the safe handling of objects. The storage system will also allow the museum to judiciously allot space for future collecting. Collections work rooms, a research room and library will provide an appropriate environment for staff and researchers to comfortably and safely examine and study objects.

Dedicated Education Center

As one of the few cultural outposts in the Gorge, Maryhill plays a vital role in an area where opportunities for arts education are severely limited by geography and economics. Over several decades Maryhill has made a tremendous impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of visitors, offering educational programs that range from teacher workshops and family fun days to themed tours for school children and adult visitors, all of which are extremely popular. The Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing will double Maryhill's education space to accommodate a wide range of programming and better serve the needs of our growing audiences. The space will offer new levels of flexibility and serve as a central gathering spot for workshops, performances, lectures and more.

The Campaign

The Building

Expansion News

Make a donation to help Maryhill finish the project:

Follow this link to help us raise $10,000 to get the word out about the new Stevenson Wing!

New!
For a current view of the construction site, check out the "Sam Cam" provided by Schommer and Sons Construction. Views are updated every 15 minutes.

Read what the New York Times had to say about the new wing.

MARY & BRUCE STEVENSON WING

Maryhill Museum of Art's first expansion in its 70-year history

The 25,500 square foot Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, named for generous Maryhill Museum of Art patrons and designed by GBD Architects of Portland, opens spring 2012. At $10 million, Maryhill's first expansion is the largest cultural capital construction project in the Columbia River Gorge in 15 years.

Architect's rendering of the expansion and present museum building

Overview of existing museum and expansion by GBD Architects. Watercolor rendering by C.S. Holmes.

The Stevenson Wing provides much-needed space and allows Maryhill to meet a number of strategic objectives, including dedicated space for educational programs for adults and children, enhanced stewardship of the museum's collections, and an improved visitor experience.

Key elements include:

Dedicated Education Center – The new wing doubles Maryhill's education space and allows for a wide range of programming to serve the needs of our growing audiences. View Museum map.

Centralized Collections Suite – Well-designed storage areas, collections work rooms, and research spaces give museum curators and scholars greater access to Maryhill's collections as they develop stimulating exhibits and programs.

Outdoor Interpretive Spaces – On the Cannon Power Plaza (view Museum map), more than 12,500 square feet of outdoor interpretive space unfolds in a series of dramatic and unexpected views of the Columbia River Gorge, giving visitors access to what is perhaps Maryhill's most visible asset – its extraordinary setting.

A New Café

The Stevenson Wing houses Loie's, the museum's new, roomy café. Named for the famed Parisian dancer and museum co-founder, Loie Fuller, the café features a bank of windows and outdoor terrace with stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge. There's no better place to enjoy a light lunch or sip an outstanding local wine than on the terrace at Loie's. View Museum map.

Mt. Hood Gallery

Our majestic neighbor to the west, Mt. Hood, is framed by the windows in one of the museum's intimate new gallery spaces. Exhibitions in this space during 2012 feature ceramics from Maryhill's collections. View Museum map.

The Oregonian, The Dalles Chronicle, and the Yakima Business Times have all featured recent stories on the expansion.