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The Speed Art Museum released details of a new 20-year Master Plan.  The plan suggests a near doubling of gallery and education spaces over the 20-year period to accommodate the growth of the Museum’s collections, programming initiatives, and special exhibitions.  Future expansion plans will include not only several building additions but also a reworking of the existing building to make way finding and visitor circulation easier and more visitor-friendly. 

Highlights of the plan call for the building and surrounding spaces to be invigorated and transformed into spaces that project the excitement and openness of the activities taking place inside.  The Master Plan will be a guiding document for architects and planners when the museum begins any expansion or renovation.

Speed Museum Director, Peter Morrin, stated, “This Master Plan is not just about making the treasure chest bigger, but truly expanding the museum and its services to continue to be a place where people can come together and value one another’s cultural heritage.”

Scott Newman, of Cooper Robertson and Partners in New York, who worked with the Museum to create the plan said, “The Speed Art Museum Master Plan represents a framework for the growth and transformation of the Museum over the next 20 years. Key elements of the plan are intended to guide future architectural development to produce a cohesive whole that synthesizes new and old, provides a more vibrant and welcoming identity, and meets the Speed’s goal of providing visitors with the most meaningful and engaging experiences with works of art.”

The plan enhances the Museum’s site with a series of exterior landscaped courts that relate to visitor amenities and functions, such as outdoor gathering spaces, eating areas, and a sculpture garden.  It greatly raises the Speed’s presence on Third Street with expanded frontage creating a more welcoming entrance to the Museum.

The original 1927 Building is preserved and respected, while some areas would be redeveloped to provide a clearly visible main entrance, and a vibrant, transparent and welcoming identity. In order to clarify internal spaces as the Museum grows, the plan calls for creating a “main street” of circulation that would guide visitors and organize the various public functions.  The interior street would link the entrance and new main lobby to the original building, the galleries, and a pedestrian bridge to a new building.  The bridge creates an iconic gateway into the Museum and University of Louisville campus and unites the facility functionally. 

Expanded special exhibitions galleries on a new third floor provide critically needed space to permit important large traveling exhibitions to be shown in Louisville that cannot be hosted now. Expanded permanent collection galleries allow growth, display of important works that cannot be seen, and further strengthen the display of areas of excellence such as the Kentucky Collection, Glass, European and American Art, and Contemporary Art.  A new building to the North represents an exciting opportunity to highlight distinctive collections in a unique architectural setting.

Speed Museum Director Peter Morrin stated, “The Speed’s collections are one of Louisville’s great ambassadors for the city and sharing them more widely with the community will support local education and enjoyment as well as cultural tourism. Works in the Speed collection are lent to special exhibitions all over the world because of the high esteem in which the collection is held.  Even though significant pieces are lent worldwide, many others are not on view right now in their home city of Louisville because the Speed does not have enough space to display them.  An expansion of the Museum will, over time, nearly double the square footage of galleries.  It will balance the enjoyment of Old Master pictures and other collections with the studio excitement of contemporary art.  At present the Speed shows only 3% of its outstanding collection of 13,000 works of art.”

The plan provides new and improved classroom and assembly spaces to build on the Museum’s reputation for excellence in education and to take maximum advantage of shared opportunities with the University and surrounding community for a rich array of programs and initiatives. Public amenities such as the cafe, gift shop, and meeting facilities are improved to enhance the visitor experience. 

The Master Plan is flexible in its organization so that it can be implemented over time in phases.   Costs to implement the 20-year Master Plan are roughly $150 million including construction and additional operating endowment necessary to run and maintain the facility.  The location of the Museum has great potential both for future growth, more synergy with the University, and a transformation of the Speed’s architectural identity.  The Speed will next begin work on a feasibility study to best determine the financial plan for achieving the expansion goals.  A timeline for expansion will be determined based on the feasibility study. 

Director Peter Morrin said, “The Master Plan acknowledges and respects the Museum’s heritage while providing a dynamic vision for transforming the Speed to fulfill its mission as a vital cultural resource for the City of Louisville and the region.”

The mission of The Speed Art Museum is to discover, together with its communities, the joy and power of great art.  Founded in 1927, The Speed Art Museum has over 13,000 pieces in its collection spanning 6,000 years, ranging from ancient Egyptian to contemporary art.  The Museum has distinguished collections of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting; 18th century French art; Renaissance and Baroque tapestries; and significant holdings of contemporary painting and sculpture.  African and Native American works are also represented in the museum’s collection.  An interactive learning center for families, Art Sparks, brings the collection to life for family audiences.  Art Sparks is undergoing a renovation and will reopen to the public on November 12.  More information is available at www.speedmuseum.org.