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NEWS RELEASE Media contact:
Colleen Schafroth, Executive Director
 

Maryhill Museum of Art Announces Plans for First Expansion in 70-Year History
Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing to House Education Facilities, Collections Storage and New Cafe
 
(GOLDENDALE, Wash., October 4, 2010) – The Board of Trustees of Maryhill Museum of Art today announced plans for a $10 million expansion project to be completed by March 2012. The new 25,500 square foot Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, designed by GBD Architects of Portland, will allow Maryhill to meet a number of strategic objectives as it serves growing audiences from throughout Oregon, Washington and around the globe.
 
“Maryhill Museum of Art’s rich history and extraordinary setting make it one of the region’s leading museums and a true gem of the Pacific Northwest. A new wing will allow the museum to thrive now and well into the future,” says Jim Foster, president of the museum’s Board of Trustees.
 
Key features of the new wing include: a dedicated art education center to accommodate Maryhill’s wide range of public programming; a centralized collections suite for improved storage and to give curators and researchers more efficient access to the museum’s world-class collections; an outdoor plaza where visitors can better enjoy Maryhill’s extraordinary setting and growing collection of large-scale sculpture; and, a new café with terrace seating and stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge.
 
“This expansion will solidify Maryhill’s position as a unique cultural resource for residents of the Columbia River Gorge and beyond. The original building, designed as a residence in the early 20th century for museum founder and visionary Sam Hill, continues to serve the museum well.  However, the new wing will allow us to offer even more public programs, welcoming spaces that highlight our breathtaking setting, and to better care for and interpret our collections,” says Laura Cheney, of White Salmon, Washington, who co-chairs the museum’s Campaign Committee with Patty Burnet of Moro, Oregon.

ABOUT THE NEW WING:
To minimize the visual impact of The Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, the first floor will be located underground. It will contain 8,425 square feet for an art education center, collections storage and study rooms, exhibits, restrooms, and café. A 1,700 square foot gallery at ground level will link the existing historic building to the new wing. Exterior spaces, including the Vista Terrace and Grand Plaza, will provide another 11,825 square feet of interpretive space. The project also includes the renovation of 3,545 square feet of existing galleries, office spaces and the museum store.

The design is energy efficient, sustainable and honors the nearly 100-year-old museum building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The design complies with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
 
“We took many of our design cues from Maryhill’s dramatic natural setting. As a result, the new wing complements but doesn’t compete with the historic building or the surrounding landscape,” says Gene W. Callan, AIA, of GBD Architects, which is well-known for green design, including Portland’s Gerding Theater at the Armory, the first project on the National Register of Historic Places to earn a LEED Platinum rating; GBD also designed the Brewery Blocks in Portland’s Pearl District.

Callan has a very personal connection to Maryhill Museum of Art. Both Gene and his wife, Peggy, grew up in nearby Goldendale, Washington and were married on the grounds 33 years ago.


“I have always been intrigued by Maryhill. This is such an unusual place with so many intriguing stories and intriguing art,” says Callan. "But I have always believed that visitors are as attracted to the site as much as they are to the collection.”


“The goal of this project was not to create an architectural icon, but a quiet addition to the museum that is compatible, efficient and honest, while taking advantage of the dynamic views of the Columbia River Gorge,” continues Callan.
 
Traditional stucco, concrete, and metal with carefully placed glazing is used throughout the new wing, providing a transparency that contrasts with the existing opaque building. The expansion and renovation, managed by Milt Ketchum of Sherman County, Oregon and constructed by Schommer and Sons Construction of Portland, will strive for a United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating.

The wing will be constructed with minimal impact on the landscape and natural environment.  The expansion itself is underground, maximizing its insulating and energy-efficient qualities. The concrete floors will feature radiant heat, while the Grand Plaza will act as a solar reflector, keeping the spaces beneath cool. Native plantings will reduce the heat island effect and provide a stormwater catchment system to filter rainwater and eliminate downhill erosion. A new irrigation halo around the campus will provide new protection against the frequent brush fires of the region. Ultra-low flow water fixtures will be used throughout the new wing as well as energy-efficient lighting. Recycled materials, such as site-harvested Columbia River basalt, and certified wood are featured as well.

FUNDING THE PROJECT & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
To date, Maryhill has raised $8 million of the estimated campaign goal of $10 million in cash gifts, bequests and pledges. The campaign was jumpstarted with a $2.6 million gift from Mary Hoyt Stevenson and further enriched with a $1.5 million award from the Washington State Building for the Arts fund.  In addition, the campaign includes two major pledges of $500,000 from Cannon Power Group (the wind power developer in Klickitat County) and the Mary Hoyt Stevenson Foundation, along with significant gifts and pledges from several individuals, including Mary and Broughton Bishop, Evona Brim, Judy Carlson Kelley and Nani S. Warren. The remaining funds come from the museum’s trustees, members and friends, as well as regional foundations and businesses.
 
Further information about the expansion, including capital campaign materials, architectural renderings and media kit can be found at www.maryhillmuseum.org/expansion.html.
 
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ABOUT MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART:
Opened to the public May 13, 1940, Maryhill Museum of Art celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2010. Housed in a glorious Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high above the Columbia River, Maryhill Museum of Art is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most enchanting cultural destinations. The museum was founded by Northwest entrepreneur and visionary Sam Hill, who purchased the property and began building the house with dreams of establishing a Quaker farming community. When that goal proved untenable, Hill was encouraged by friends Loie Fuller, Queen Marie of Romania, and Alma de Bretteville Spreckles to establish a museum.

Today Maryhill Museum of Art boasts a world-class permanent collection, rotating exhibitions of the highest caliber, and dynamic educational programs that provide opportunities for further exploration by visitors of all ages. On view are more than 80 works by Auguste Rodin, European and American paintings, objects d'art from the palaces of the Queen of Romania, Orthodox icons, unique chess sets, and the renowned Théâtre de la Mode, featuring small-scale mannequins attired in designer fashions of post-World War II France. Baskets of the indigenous people of North America were a collecting interest of Hill; today the museum’s Native American collection represents nearly every tradition and style in North America, with works of art from prehistoric through contemporary.  

Maryhill’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden features work by Tom Herrera, Mel Katz, Heath Krieger, Alisa Looney, Jill Torberson, Julian Voss-Andreae, Jeff Weitzel and Leon White. The Maryhill Overlook is a site-specific sculpture by noted Portland architect Brad Cloepfil; nearby are Lewis and Clark interpretive panels. Four miles east of Maryhill is a life-sized replica of Stonehenge, Stonehenge Memorial, which Sam Hill built to memorialize local men who perished in World War I. Nearby, the Klickitat County War Memorial honors those who have died in the service of their country since World War I.

The museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2001 the museum was listed as an official site of the National Historic Lewis and Clark Trail and in 2002 was accredited by the American Association of Museums.

VISITOR INFORMATION:
Maryhill Museum of Art is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 to November 15. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors and $2 for children age 6-16. Admission to the Stonehenge Memorial is free; it is open from 7:00 a.m. to dusk daily.

Sandwiches, salads, espresso drinks, cold beverages, and freshly baked desserts and pastries are available at Café Maryhill; the Museum Store features art and history books, jewelry, Native American crafts and other mementos. 

Maryhill is located off Highway 97, 12 miles south of Goldendale, Washington. Drive times to the museum are 2 hours from Portland/Vancouver, 3.5 hours from Bend, 4 hours from Seattle, and 1.5 hours from Yakima. For further information, visit www.maryhillmuseum.org.
 
Maryhill Museum of Art | 35 Maryhill Museum Drive | Goldendale, WA 98620 | 509-773-3733
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