More MOCA Please
Did you know that Atlanta has a Museum of Contemporary Art? MOCA is currently spread out between a midtown location and a downtown location. They should consolidate. MOCA needs it’s own building in Fairlie Poplar. A free standing museum in that area would both boost the museum, help the neighborhood continue to bloom, and strengthen downtown. It would also bring attention to some of the galleries that are already in the area and help facilitate the a change in people’s perceptions.
How would a building be funded? Well, we know there is at least $32 million that won’t be going to celebrate stock cars that is available as seed money for such a project. Matching fund can be found and Kia, who has announced they are building a new plant in Georgia, can begin their corporate citizenship by helping to create such a project.
Those redeveloping the Wyncoff Hotel might also consider helping to fund the project as a decent art museum with in walking distance will make their hotel more attractive!
If we’re not going to be the Red Neck Mecca, we should be the cultural Mecca of the South East and a full museum of contemporary art would go a long way toward that.
March 23rd, 2006 at 3:01 pm
Nice idea. There are several arts organizations looking for new facilities, or the renovation of current ones. Other such visual arts organizations are The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center (formerly known as Nexus) and MODA (the Museum of Design Atlanta). One of these is already comsidering Fairlie Poplar, among other options. There are also some theater companies looking in that area.
However, it’s unlikely any of the “NASCAR money” will be available for these organizations. Not to despair, though; we can probably raise the money from other sources.
By the way, if you haven’t seen “The Paper Show” at The Contemporary, go before it closes Saturday night. (www.thecontemporary.org)
March 23rd, 2006 at 3:58 pm
The Paper show at the CAC is a nice one. Worth the visit.
There has been some talk about converting the Ben W. Fortson State Archives building into an arts facility…
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=atlanta&ll=33.745666,-84.387051&spn=0.002306,0.005171&t=h
But it’s just talk for now. It would be a great building for the arts, but a little out of the way of many of the city’s attractions. The Museum of Design has looked at the building as a possible new location.
One of the local problems for the arts is that big institutions get large amounts of the funds with the smaller one fighting for scraps. It’s a problem with all small arts groups. The MoD and MODA GA depend on the generosity of office buildings to provide them with ground-floor exhibition spaces.
March 29th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
personally, i’m a newfound big fan of the homage John Portman created to himself in the sublevel of the SunTrust plaza tower - outside of the *actual* art gallery (museum of modern art, i believe?), nearly every painting and sculpture on display down there was created by him, and then placed by his firm in the public space of his own building.
i’m not an art critic, but i postulate that he must find inspiration in vomitus.
April 2nd, 2006 at 4:03 pm
I think an expanded John Portman museum would be fantastic. All Tech architecture students should be required to visit and tour his absolutely terrible buildings (I had to work in two of them) as examples of what not to do.