Preliminary plans call for a new art center of more than15,000 square feet–almost twice the size of the current building.
Kimball Art Center Executive Director Aldy Milliken says the board and staff are conducting an in-depth review of programs to determine how a new facility can support future growth. Earnest money has also been placed on property that Dakota Pacific Real Estate plans to donate, along with an additional acre the nonprofit intends to purchase, pending completion of due diligence.
“The board and the staff are going through a very in-depth review of all of our programs and thinking about what the new building will do to facilitate all those programs, and then the expected growth that comes with that,” Milliken said. “That includes public spaces, cafes and other things that we don't currently have. There will be an expansion of the exhibitions and education programs, but then also these other things that will be a community gathering space, almost like this community living room that's been talked about for many years.”
The board has hired a capital campaign consultant as it begins planning how to generate community support for what is expected to be a multi-million-dollar project. Leaders are also preparing to launch an architect selection process.
Rather than issuing a traditional request for proposals, Milliken says the center is developing a detailed building program first and will then conduct interviews with architects.
“We’re going to go through an interview architectural selection, which is a little bit more complicated, but it's also means you're doing a lot more thoughtful review of architects on the front end,” he explained. “So, instead of doing an RFP or a competition where the architect tells you what they what they think you should do on this property, the building program that we're creating is so thoughtful and so detailed that we can then go out and interview architects and really ask an architect like, what can you do for us? It turns the conversation around.
Milliken says architects from around the country have already expressed interest, calling it a highly sought-after project.
The total cost has yet to be determined. The board expects to develop multiple building options based on how much funding can be raised. He anticipates roughly two years of fundraising before construction begins. The proceeds from the sale of the center’s former Main Street building in 2015 could be used to establish an endowment.
As for whether the facility will continue to be known as the Kimball Art Center, Milliken says no decisions have been made.
“It will always be, in a way, the Kimball Art Center,” he said. “I think that if there is donor support for a name change or for something that may be on the table, but we haven't really talked about that. There's no formal plan to do that.”
Currently, the Kimball is exhibiting two shows: One is “Returning to Wonder,” which brings together 12 contemporary artists whose work spans the microscopic to the cosmic. It’s on display until May 3.
The second show “All Sketches Wish to be Real,” is on display until March 8.The center has planned several events surrounding both exhibits.
Click here for more information and registration.
