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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact:
Colleen Schafroth, Executive Director
Maryhill Museum of Art Posts Near 30% Increase in Visitation
with Opening of New Wing
Mary & Bruce Stevenson Wing Opened in May 2012 to Rave Reviews
(GOLDENDALE, Wash., November 28, 2012) – As Maryhill Museum of Art closed its doors for the season on November 15, museum officials announced that attendance increased nearly 30% over the prior year, with 45,000 visitors crossing the threshold.
Visitation was buoyed by the opening of the new Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, a $9.5 million, 25,500 square foot expansion that was the first in the museum’s history and the largest cultural capital project in the Columbia River Gorge in 15 years. The wing was dedicated May 13, 2012, opening to rave reviews from visitors and the media.
“We’ve had so much positive feedback on the new wing, from the beauty of its design and construction details to our green approach and the way it seamlessly fits with the original museum building and surrounding landscape,” said executive director Colleen Schafroth. “It really has exceeded our expectations.”
The contemporary building, with its cantilevered terrace and sweeping views of the Gorge, was designed by GBD Architects of Portland, and houses an education suite, collections storage, and an outdoor plaza with expansive views and large-scale sculptures. Among the improved visitor amenities is a new, roomy café, Loïe’s, which also saw increased traffic.
“With the influx of visitors, our café experienced a 30% increase in revenue – funds that go directly to support exhibits and programs,” said Schafroth.
In addition to attracting larger audiences, the Stevenson Wing has received several industry awards and accolades, including Best Cultural Project in the Northwest from the Engineering News Record. The project will be put forward for national contention in December.
In the coming months, the museum expects the new wing to receive a Gold-level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
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ABOUT MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART:
Housed in a glorious Beaux Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high above the Columbia River, Maryhill Museum of Art opened to the public May 13, 1940 and today remains 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.
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 more than a dozen large-scale works by Northwest artists. 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. In 2012 the museum opened the Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing, a 25,500 square foot expansion that is the first in the museum's history. The new wing boasts the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust Education Center, a collections storage and research suite, a new cafe and terrace, and the Cannon Power Plaza with an installation of sculpture, and sweeping views of the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood in the distance.
VISITOR INFORMATION:
Maryhill Museum of Art is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 15 to November 15. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $3 for youth age 7-18 and free for children 6 and under. 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, as well as a selection of local wines are available at the museum's cafe, Loie's, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; 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.
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| Maryhill
Museum of Art | 35 Maryhill Museum Drive | Goldendale,
WA 98620 | 509-773-3733 |
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