The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Va., is seeking an architect to develop plans for a parking deck and expansion and renovations to the existing museum building at Boulevard and Grove. The plan envisions adding 132,000 square feet of new space to the museum’s existing 380,000 square-foot building, as well as renovation of 167,000 square feet of the existing building. Also included are plans for a 625-car parking deck, converting the existing parking lot into a park and sculpture garden, and reconfiguration of vehicle entrances to the museum’s grounds.
William David Kingery, known as the father of modern ceramics, died July 7 at his summer home in Wickford, R.I., of a heart attack, reports the Associated Press. He was 73. Kingery won the prestigious Kyoto award in 1999, a $400,000 Japanese prize given for significant contributions in advanced technology, basic sciences and creative arts. He wrote the classic textbook Introduction to Ceramics, as well as books on the archaeological history of ceramics and more than 200 scientific research papers.
Antique Networking, Inc. (a division of Antiqnet.com), Columbus, Ohio, has relaunched their website, www.antiqnet.com. More than 50,000 rdf_Descriptions in Antiqnet Shops and 1,800 in Antiqnet Auctions are featured, with prices ranging from $50 to $125,000. Buyers can get updates on rdf_Descriptions they are trying to find, and can establish their own personal catalog, which allows users to track rdf_Descriptions from Antiqnet Auctions until they make a decision to bid.
The Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, N.Y., has received a $1 million gift from trustee Matthew Bender IV. The donation, which will lead the way for the museum’s immediate, $5.6 million fund raising initiative, “Achieving Excellence in the Twenty-First Century,” is the single largest cash gift in the Albany Institute’s history. “Timing is everything, and the timing is right for me to make this gift now,” said Bender. “I was born in Albany; the money was made here, and I want to give back to the community. As I travel and visit museums around the country and elsewhere, my appreciation of the quality of the Albany Institute’s collections and library continues to grow. This is a museum of national significance.”
The Arizona State Museum, Tucson, wants to move the bulk of its public exhibits from the University of Arizona to the Rio Nuevo development project planned for downtown, reports the Associated Press. Museum officials expect the move to double yearly attendance even though they plan to start charging admission at the new site. The 108-year-old museum will keep its site on the campus but will join with the Arizona Historical Society, which is already slated to open a museum in the $360 million Rio Nuevo project.
According to a report in the Virginia Times-Dispatch, mother/daughter antiques dealers Suzanne Arena, 79, and Susan Varner, 50, were found dead in their homes on Wednesday, July 5. Varner’s ex-husband, Reginald Varner, was stopped for a speeding violation by police that night, when the ax used to murder the victims was found in his car. Mr Varner has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his ex-wife, and with capital murder for both deaths. The victims owned Suzi’s Antiques, an antique clothing shop on Main Street, Farmville, Va. They were known for providing costumes for the movie Titanic, and also appeared at shows in Brimfield, Mass. and New York City (Pier shows).
