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They started about a year and a half ago, with gallery renovations and a new air handler system. The old fabric was taken off the walls, new paint was applied, and in many spaces, new flooring was put in. This was followed by a complete renovation of the Lovett Gallery, which houses our Meissen Porcelain collection. Gone are the old ugly cases that put the porcelain up too high to see it properly, and in with contemporary designs by our very own Exhibition Designer, Vance Schrum. The next step in the process was to redesign the Auditorium, followed by the new window project, and re-pointing the brick on the exterior of the building to protect against water intrusion.
Over the past few weeks the Front Lobby and The Museum Store have received a face lift of sorts. A generous donation from an anonymous source, has enabled us to bring the look of our entryway into the twenty-first century. Thanks to the designs of Larry Wilson with Designmind LLC (http://www.designmindllc.com/), the lobby and store have a much more coherent, integrated, and functional design. The new look of walnut, stainless steel, and white corian, pull together the old steel door of the small lobby elevator and the aspects of the marble walls, and with the new carpet and fixtures in the Museum Store, the overall look is more open and modern.
In addition to Larry Wilson’s help, we could not have managed this transformation without the hard work, fabrication, and installation of Belet’s Millwork (http://beletsmillwork.com/), Miller Electric (http://www.mecojax.com), Moyer Marble & Tile Co. (http://moyercompany.com/), Dixie Contract (http://dixiecc.com/), and the staff of The Cummer Musuem, who came together in the final hour to paint shelves, build display units, and move product. Finally, a special thanks goes out to our general contractor, Elkins Constructors (http://www.elkinsconstructors.com/), who provided project supervision in kind.
Up next in our renovation project…the Front Doors! Construction should begin in September of this year.
Written by Amber Sesnick, Visitor Services & Social Media Coordinator at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
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mbwright
July 23, 2012, 10:32:07 AMLooks cool. While they are at it, I really hope they improve the lighting, at the steps and ramps at the main entrance. They are especially dark in winter.
CummerMuseum
July 25, 2012, 02:45:02 PMI will pass along your comment to the Facilities Manager and our Director. We always appreciate hearing what needs done from the visitors point of view. I know that we have a landscape plan that will be beginning soon that is campus wide, and we should be installing new front doors soon as well, to make the entrance more accessible.
Captain Zissou
July 25, 2012, 03:00:51 PMWhere are you on the funding for the new annex to the Women's club? That would be a game changing addition to the Cummer. Why are funds not being dedicated towards that? I would think that should take priority over doors.
mtraininjax
July 26, 2012, 09:18:11 AMLooking forward to the next Cummer Ball!
CummerMuseum
July 30, 2012, 11:46:00 AM@Captain Zissou - Unfortunately our front doors need to take priority right now because they are a safety hazard. They are original to the building and we can no longer get parts for them. Having parts fabricated specifically for them was going to cost more than replacing them with a more user-friendly model. The current doors are so heavy that they are not sitting in their frames properly, are very difficult to open, close very heavily, and are in danger of causing injury. Aside from that, they are also not in compliance with ADA accessibility standards, and we believe strongly in maintaining those standards so everyone in the community feels welcome at the Museum.
We are as anxious as you are to get back to work on the Lane Building, but the funding needed for that project is exponentially more than it will take for the doors. As part of our long-term planning, it is important that we build a sustainable model for maintaining our current building and grounds, before expanding or taking on very costly addition projects.